Boxing champ Dmitry Bivol has been involved in the sport since he was a child and has been a professional boxer for nearly a decade. The Kyrgyzstani pugilist has established himself as a force to be reckoned with; he’s the undefeated World Boxing Association light heavyweight champion since 2017 and is currently ranked as one of the world’s best boxers.
Bivol has seen new boxers get into the ring over the years, including YouTuber and content creator Jake Paul. Paul’s presence in the sport for the past five years hasn’t bothered Bivol; in fact, the champ gave him his flowers.
“To be honest, I like that the guy who’s not a boxer, he really loves the sport,” Bivol told TMZ Sports. “We see he’s training hard. I respect him for this.”
As for whether or not he’d face off against Paul in the ring, Bivol shut down the idea quickly. “My goal is not about money now,” he said of a potential marquee fight with Paul. “My goal is about belts.”
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Paul’s hard work has seemingly been paying off. On Dec. 15, he knocked out fighter Andre August in the first round, marking his third first-round knockout of his career. The “Problem Child” told reporters after the match it was something he set out to accomplish.
“I said first-round knockout all week,” Paul said, per The New York Post. “I manifested this. This is the power of manifestation. I said I needed to bring back the old ‘Problem Child.’ I’ve been too nice to these guys, letting them go to the later rounds.”
Quite the career change from being a Vine and YouTube star.
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This story was originally published December 20, 2023, 6:25 PM.
source: star-telegram
