This fight will tell us if Bivol is truly the real or not. I suspect he is, and I think he'll stop Barrera.
Stopping Barrera Would Indeed Be The Stamp of LEGITIMACY Bivol’s Lacking... REED Thinks he’ll Win, But by UD....Barrera’s Ring Smarts, Skill and Craft Will Keep it Competitive Early to Mid, then Bivol Pulls Away Late... 8-4 Type of Fight w/Bivol’s Effective Aggression Being the Difference... REED
Bivol UD, but based more on a guess than anything else. He is one of those Russian amateurs who looks like the goods but Barrera is by far the more proven guy. As for Kovalev vs Mihalkin, Kovalev should win inside five. Mihalkin is active but doesn't have the guts, nor the defense, nor the punch to win. HBO podcast claimed that Kovalev, arguing with Jackson, had been boozing through his training camps since the Chilemba bout and that's why his conditioning gave out. Whether or not that is true I have no idea
Barrera was dropped hard by Joe Smith, and dropped by Ward. Neither has the firepower of Bivol. I don't think Barrera's chin is the sturdiest.
How fuckin DARE you accuse a Russian of boozing! That's the most inconceivable thing I've ever heard!
Why are you guys discussing this fucking shit. This week is all about Wilder vs Ortiz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cuuuuuuuuuuunts.
It’s Not, and No Doubt Bivol will Hurt and/or Drop Barrera a Time or 3... If Bivol STOPS Barrera, it Solidifies Him as THE Man at ‘75...But REED’s Expecting Barrera’s Experience, Craft and Survival Skills to See Him to the Finisb Line... REED
Sure, Wilder-Ortiz is the Marquee Fight of the Weekend, But Bivol-Barrera is Intriguing in it’s Own Right... Bivol Just Might Be the Next GREAT Light Heavyweight...More Importantly 3 of the Divisions 4 Belt Holders are Russian, 2 of Them Appearing on HBO Saturday... When Half the Champions in a Particular Division Share a Card, It MOVES the Needle with Boxing Fans...Or it Should, at Least... REED
Bivol isn't the man at 175 until he beats Kov. And Kov, though he's aging, is still a different animal than Barrera.
I wonder how Kov would handle adversity when he faces it again. He seems to not have been able to get over the Ward defeats.
He might not react well, but we'll also have to see how Bivol handles Kov's power. Barrera doesn't have big power.
Ward "Broke" Kovalev... He'll NEVER Be the Same, Which is Why HBO is Matching him SOFT for the 2nd Consecutive Bout, in REED's Opinion... Obviously, You Can NEVER Completely Rule Out a Man w/His Power, but REED Would be Shocked if Kovalev Came Out On Top, If/When the Russians Start Unifying... REED
Whether Kov is "broken" or not is just speculation at this point. He IS declining though... but that's not JUST because of Ward. He's getting old. The good news for Bivol is, history shows us that in matchups like this, most times the young, hungry fighter will overcome the old champion, simply because the younger guy WANTS it more and has more in the tank. But first things first, let's make sure he takes care of Barrera tonight, and see how he looks doing so, then we can re-visit this.
