Everything is ready for this Saturday, February 22 to witness boxing history in Riyadh. Four months after Artur Beterbiev’s controversial victory by decision over Dmitry Bivol to become the undisputed champion of the semi-heavyweight division, Turki al-Seikh has organized a rematch in the Middle East, giving fans what they asked for. This highly anticipated matchup between the Russian and the Kyrgyzstani, ranked fourth and fifth in the pound-for-pound rankings, is set to become one of the greatest rivalries of the 21st century.
Despite not being media superstars due to their reserved personalities, the talent of both fighters is unmatched in the world of boxing, as seen in their first encounter. Bivol and Beterbiev engaged in a back-and-forth battle, where Artur snatched the undefeated record from Dmitry, despite being the first opponent who didn’t get knocked out in his entire professional career. On the occasion of this long-awaited moment, we wanted to review some of the most historic rematches of the century.
Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury
In this list, the best rematch of recent years could not be missing. Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury were destined to face each other due to their dominance in the heavyweight division, resulting in two fights that took place in 2024, thanks to Turki al-Seikh. The Ukrainian champion swept everything in his path from the cruiserweight to the heavyweight division, while the only rival who had been able to beat Fury until 2024 was himself.
With a bout of depression in between after winning the heavyweight belt against Vladimir Klitschko, and a three-year break, ‘The Gipsy King’ rediscovered his best version in his famous rivalry with Deontay Wilder. However, to unify the heavyweight belts, he faced an entire Olympic champion like Usyk, against whom he was the favorite. Against all forecasts, in May 2024, it was the Ukrainian who beat Fury by a split decision in a fight that the British boxer began winning but in which he could not finish. The heavyweight division had its undisputed king.
Seven months later, both fighters faced each other again in the Middle East, in one of the most anticipated rematches in recent years. On this occasion, Usyk was the favorite to take the victory after what happened in their first confrontation, and he did not fail to meet the forecasts. Again, the Ukrainian knew how to handle the pace better than Fury, being the only one capable of beating ‘The Gipsy King’ throughout his career. These two victories earned him the Boxer of the Year award and made him the current number one pound-for-pound.
Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez vs Gennadiy Golovkin
This historic rivalry between Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin in the middleweight division could not be missing from this list. Between the two, there are 76 knockouts throughout their careers, which serves as a testament to the quality of the fights they had. After winning against rivals such as Amir Khan, Miguel Cotto, and Julio César Chávez Jr., ‘Canelo’ won the opportunity to fight Golovkin for the IBF, IBO, and WBC Middleweight Belt in 2017. At that time, the only defeat of the Mexican had been against Floyd Mayweather, while the Kazakh remained undefeated based on his stuck and technique like few others.
After a highly competitive fight in which both connected great blows, the judges granted a draw by split decision. This meant that, a year later, they would see each other again. However, this time, only the IBO and WBC belts were at stake. In a fight quite similar to the previous one, ‘Canelo’ gave a little more than his adversary, winning by majority decision despite the fact that a judge returned to give a tie. There was a change of cycle in the middleweight division.
Four years later, after the Mexican’s defeat against Dmitry Bivol, they met again in a ring to end their rivalry with a trilogy. On this occasion, the 37 years of Golovkin’s career weighed too much, as the victory of ‘Canelo’ was clearer than the previous one. Even so, they left behind the great boxing they had, giving fans three fights worth seeing repeated over and over again.
Manny Pacquiao vs Juan Manuel Márquez
Many boxing fans remember Manny Pacquiao for his famous fight with Floyd Mayweather. However, his most recognized rivalry was not against ‘Money’, but against Juan Manuel Márquez. Both fighters faced each other for the first time in 2004, with the IBF Featherweight title at stake. After a fight with exchanges of all kinds, the draw was the final decision. ‘Pacman’ was about to knock out the Mexican up to three times in the first round, but the soul of Márquez allowed him to retain his belt.
Four years later, they fought again with another belt at stake, the WBC Super Featherweight. On this occasion, Pacquiao did assert the knockdown achieved in the third round, winning the fight by split decision and putting the second stone of a rivalry that had only begun. Despite the great fights they starred in every time they shared a ring, three years passed until they faced each other again in 2011, with the WBO Welterweight title at stake.
Again, the Filipino fighter found the key to beat Márquez by majority decision, in what was supposed to be the end of their story. However, there was another fight, this time with no title at play. Just a year after their third fight, the Mexican was able to redeem himself and get his first victory against Pacquiao with a knockout in the sixth round that is already part of the history books. Both fighters achieved knockdowns in what was one of the greatest fights of the century, putting the golden brooch to a rivalry that transcends beyond boxing.
Fury vs Wilder, Pacquiao-Morales, Ward-Gatti… there are several historical rivalries and rematches that we have not analyzed in depth despite the fact that they deserve attention, rivalries that have a hole reserved in the history of this sport. This Saturday, Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol will become part of this club thanks to a rematch whose media impact is inversely proportional to the show they will offer.
