Top light heavyweight prospect Dimitry Bivol (10-0, 8 KOs) took a step up on ShoBox against series veteran Samuel Clarkson (19-4, 12 KOs) Friday night in Maryland. He disposed of Clarkson with ease and now looks forward to a potential clash with former WBO titlist Nathan Cleverly (30-3, 16 KOs) later in the year.
Bivol was excellent. He features what may be the quickest one two combination in the division with his jab-straight right and the right comes with power. Almost immediately he hurt Clarkson with a straight right to the body which caused Clarkson to go down a few moments later along the ropes. Later in the round the same right split Clarkson’s guard, dropping him hard against the very same ropes once more. Rounds two and three were continued beatings as Bivol patiently stalked and waited for his opening. It came in round four. Another right put Clarkson down. Though he made it to his feet, his unsteady legs caused the fight to be rightfully waved off.
Bivol matches his beautiful hand speed and good power with tremendous balance. His obvious weakness is how much of a straight line he tends to fight on, but on that line he is able to bounce in and out very quickly. It remains to be seen how effective this tendency can be against someone who is constantly moving laterally, but with the speed he can dart in and out at it is difficult to imagine him being completely nullified. His head on that line is the more worrying part as it is there to be hit when he is in range, but so far he has been able to use his balance and quickness to move his body out of danger.
Samuel Clarkson is a pretty good light heavyweight. He is not a top 15 guy, maybe not a top 25 guy, but the only fighters that destroy him are the top seven or so fighters in the division. Dimitry Bivol destroyed him. Get on the hype train quick, tickets are running out. This is your conductor speaking.
Also featured on the card was 21 year old, six foot tall welterweight prospect Malik Hawkins (11-0, 8 KOs) in a dominant second round stoppage win over late replacement Mexican opponent Carlos Soto (13-1, 7 KOs). Hawkins has obvious physical gifts with his height, speed, and at least some power. He is young, raw, and needs to be moved slowly though. Here he closed Soto’s eye about as quickly as I have seen an eye be closed in the first round. After the second, which was a three round beating, Soto told the doctor he couldn’t see and the fight was rightfully stopped.
Opening the show was a fun eight round bantamweight war won by 9-0 (6-KOs) Glen Dezurn over near US Olympian 5-1 (3 KOs) Leroy Davila. I feel for Davila a bit as he fought just last year as an amateur at 108, but to find fights and make money as a father of three on the east coast he as to fight way up in weight. So far that has been at 118, but for the ShoBox fight he went up another division even to 122. He put up a great fight that was highly entertaining and evenly contested. Dezurn got the nod.
