Dmitry Bivol digs down deep, Joseph Parker uncorks one, Shakur Stevenson is darn good

The first two rounds went well for the challenger.

Most of the next five did not.

Dmitry Bivol was feeling the pressure at Riyadh Arena. Defending champion Artur Beterbiev was in full stalk mode. He was walking Bivol down, working the body, and tattooing his fellow Russian with blows.

Something changed during round seven. Perhaps Bivol had flashbacks to his first fight with Beterbiev four months before. In that fight, he appeared to have the edge heading into the later rounds.

Bivol had boxed well, used his legs, and countered. But the powerful locomotive with AB on his trunks was picking up momentum. Bivol fought back the best he could. Many thought he did enough to win. Many are not the ringside judges – they had Beterbiev the winner by unanimous decision.

Bivol was gutted after his first career loss. He let others complain but figured out what he needed to do to win the rematch.

“I need to be faster,” said Bivol last week. “I need to be harder, smarter, everything better. It means more punches and more endurance.”

Last Saturday, through six rounds, one judge had Beterbiev ahead. The two others had the fight tied at three rounds apiece. Bivol edged round seven and then kicked his fight into another gear by doing what he had said – showing more endurance and being busier. The judges rewarded him with a majority decision victory.

I had no problem with the decision. Bivol had to dig down deep and succeeded. That reason alone makes boxing so compelling.

“I’m just so happy,” Bivol said. “I went through a lot last year. I just wanted to work from the first round until the end of the 12th. I hoped I did enough, and I won it.”

Yes, he did.

The co-main featured Joseph Parker against late, and I mean late, replacement Martin Bakole.

The big man (318 pounds) arrived in Riyadh several hours before his showdown with Parker after accepting the fight following the withdrawal of Daniel Dubois. Bakole was in couch potato shape. He had bombed out undefeated Jarad Anderson last August. Maybe it could happen again – even with no training camp.

Roll the dice, and hope for the best.

Snake eyes.

Parker jabbed and kept his distance in the opening stanza. Bakole walked after him. Bakole upped the ante in round two but ran into a few hard right hands from Parker. He shook his head like the punches didn’t bother him. They likely did. Bakole fought back with uppercuts on the inside.

Seconds later, Parker came over the top with another right that banged off the top of Bakole’s head. He had put his 267 pounds behind the blow.

Bakole paused and looked sheepishly in Parker’s direction. His legs buckled, followed by his body, which toppled backward. Bakole hauled himself up, but referee Steve Gray had seen enough.

People often say Shakur Stevenson is a boring fighter. I understand some of the criticism, but don’t find Stevenson boring.

He’s like the kid on the block who’s too good for everybody else.

He is THAT good. Saturday he boxed unknown Josh Padley. The undefeated Padley fought hard, lost every round, and was stopped in round nine.

All kudos to Padley for his effort.

Stevenson needs someone to give him a fight.

That someone boxes this Saturday night.