Title Bout Delayed: Beterbiev Injury Throws Undisputed Light Heavyweight Showdown into Uncertainty

Once again, WBA light heavyweight champ Dmitry Bivol will have to wait for his massive undisputed title fight with fellow Russian Artur Beterbiev, because Beterbiev cannot fight. This, as Friday night news came that the WBC/WBA/IBF 175 lb. champ has an injured knee and now their June 1st bout for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is not happening.

Top Rank Boxing released a statement confirming the injury Friday night,

Top Rank Boxing Announces Official Postponement of Beterbiev-Bivol

An update on #BeterbievBivol. pic.twitter.com/IdcPp7UmMt

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) May 3, 2024

Their Statement Reads

“The highly anticipated undisputed light heavyweight world title showdown between WBC/IBF/WBO champion Artur Beterbiev and WBA ruler Dmitry Bivol — scheduled for Saturday, June 1 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — has been postponed after Beterbiev suffered a ruptured meniscus in training.

The plan is to reschedule Beterbiev-Bivol before the end of the year, and additional details will be provided in due course.”

What Is a Meniscus Injury?

Beterviev’s knee injury is significant with the confirmation that the meniscus is “ruptured” or torn, as that means it will most likely require surgery. As the world renown Mayo Clinic details, a significant injury to the meniscus that enables the knee to rotate properly usually is at least a 60 day rest and rehabilitation and could be even more.

So with that news, the long awaited battle with Bivol will not happen on June 1st, if it ends up happening at all.

Bivol Has Been Patient

This, as the unbeaten Bivol, 22-0, 11 KOs, has been waiting for the undisputed title shot with Beterbiev since last Summer. But, at that time Beterbiev, 20-0, 20 KOs, chose instead to make title defense against England’s Callum Smith, however their fight was delayed when Beterbiev suffered an infection of his jaw bone after oral surgery to remove a tooth. That pushed the Smith bout five more months until January, with the 33 year old Bivol still electing to wait for him.

Beterbiev secured a 7th round stoppage of Smith to retain his belts and set up the potential mega-fight for light heavyweight supremacy.

Read More: Five Underrated Light Heavyweights to Watch Out for in 2024

The Saudi Entertainment Authority moved quickly to set up Beterbiev-Bivol for June 1st to come on the heels of the upcoming May 18th Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Uysk in Riyadh for the undisputed heavyweight title fight there just two weeks earlier.

However, Bivol, who was last in the ring in a December 12 round decision win over England’s Lyndon Arthur, is now left without an opponent and another uncertain timeline on when/if Beterbiev will fight him?

Bivol has made 10 title defenses of his WBA belt, most notably defeating legend Canelo Alvarez by decision in May of 2022 in the best performance of his career.

With a month’s notice, the SAE could go ahead and attempt to schedule a lesser title fight for Bivol in June, but that seems unlikely at the moment.