Eddie Hearn spoke once again with IFL TV this week, and the promoter spoke about, amongst other things, the undercard for the October 12 light heavyweight unification battle between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. The fight, to go down in Riyadh, will have a “really good undercard,” Hearn has teased.
Fans have quickly grown used to getting stacked cards since the powerful Saudi moneymen came into the sport in a huge, huge way—and the great, value-for-money cards will keep on coming.
“There is a template of the under card that is in place now,” Hearn said of the October 12 card. “Now all the contracts are being drawn up, and obviously, Riyadh Season will make that announcement. I would say that they’ll hopefully be in a position next week to announce the undercard for October 12th. [It’s] a really good under card. You sit there again, you just look at it, and you go, ‘How do you do that!’ You don’t see anything like it.”
So, what fights might we see on the October card? Already, fans are speculating. The recently agreed heavyweight rematch between Frazer Clarke and Fabio Wardley has been suggested as a possible undercard fight for the date, while we could even see a second ‘Five Vs. Five’ on the card, a repeat or rematch of the Queensbury vs. Matchroom rivalry on June 1, the night Beterbiev and Bivol were originally set to fight.
We should find out what the undercard will be next week, and it seems we will see the announcement of yet another stacked bill. It’s quite impressive to think that some fans don’t like Turki Alalshikh and what he and his team are doing in the sport. Why, when all we are getting is great card after great card? There just isn’t any pleasing some people!
As to the main event on October 12, will Beterbiev’s inactivity hurt him, and will the younger, fresher Bivol get the win? Or will the sheer, uncommon punching power of Beterbiev serve him well once again? This one will prove to be worth the wait.
