Eddie Hearn Criticizes WBC Over Dmitry Bivol Title Decision

Eddie Hearn the highly regarded boxing promoter has openly expressed his discontent with the World Boxing Council following its controversial decision on Dmitry Bivol’s light heavyweight title. The ruling has triggered significant discussion within the boxing community and raised concerns over the consistency of title governance.

Dmitry Bivol secured the status of undisputed light heavyweight champion with an emphatic victory over Artur Beterbiev in a rematch held on February 10 2025 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn New York. However the WBC demanded that Bivol defend his title against interim champion David Benavidez. When Bivol prioritized a trilogy bout against Beterbiev the WBC stripped him of the light heavyweight title.

Eddie Hearn has criticized the timing and the fairness of the decision highlighting the inconsistency in the WBC’s treatment of its champions. He drew comparisons to Saul Canelo Alvarez’s tenure as the WBC super middleweight champion noting that Alvarez was allowed to move up in weight and challenge Bivol without immediate pressure to defend his title.

David Benavidez who claimed the interim title with a decisive victory over David Morrell in February 2024 has since been elevated to WBC light heavyweight champion. While Benavidez is ready to face top contenders the circumstances surrounding the title transfer have prompted debate among analysts and fans.

The controversy has added tension to the already dynamic landscape of light heavyweight boxing. Fans continue to call for accountability and clearer guidelines from governing bodies like the WBC to ensure the integrity of championship titles is upheld.

Sources

Tags: Boxing, Combat Sports