Agnew returns to ring against unbeaten Bivol
Houston light heavyweight Cedric Agnew’s career has been in a slump since he was stopped short of a world title in 2014 by Sergey Kovalev, who drilled a left into his rib cage.
Agnew, who has fought just four times in the last three years, is back in the ring on Saturday when he faces Dimitry Bivol at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
The bout, on the undercard of the rematch between Andre Ward and Kovalev, will be aired on HBO Pay-Per-View.
Agnew (29-2, 15 knockouts) said his showdown with Bivol (10-0, 8 KOs) marks an opportunity to shine in front of a global audience and regain a measure of relevance in the light heavyweight division.
“It’s just about putting the right guys in front of me and winning those fights to get in the position I was before,” Agnew said.
“It’s going to be a grit and grind war out there. I am here to showcase my talent, my skills and it is going to be an amazing fight. You’re going to see a lot of Cedric Agnew come Saturday night.”
Rust won’t be a factor
Despite his sporadic activity, ring rust will not be a factor, he said, since he has sparred consistently and rarely skipped a day of training. He has been working with Bobby Benton, his trainer since 2009, to correct the mistakes he made in his two losses.
“We try and critique my style and my craft every day that we’re in the gym,” Agnew said. “That’s nonstop.”
Despite having more than three times as many professional fights than Bivol, Agnew is listed by most as an underdog. It is a role he is used to.
“He’s going to step in there with me so I wish he’s looking at me as a stepping stone,” Agnew said. “Let’s have no illusions. My whole career, there have been a lot of naysayers. My thing is to overcome the naysayers and show what I’m capable of.”
Benton said Bivol has shown sound fundamentals and decent speed but has not looked impressive when forced to slug it out in close quarters. He said Agnew’s key to victory is forcing a tempo and distance at which the less experienced fighter is uncomfortable.
“He has trouble when you get inside, so we’re going to try and get close to him,” Benton said.
Bivol, 26, will also have to contend with Agnew’s ambidexterity. Although he fights predominantly as a southpaw, Agnew has demonstrated the ability to switch seamlessly between righthanded and lefthanded stances.
“I write with my right hand, but any style is natural for me,” Agnew said. “What I can do southpaw, I can do righthanded. What I can do righthanded, I can do as a southpaw.”
Change of plans
Bivol’s original opponent was Sullivan Barrera, a righthander, but he had to alter his fight plan midway through training camp to deal with a switch hitter after Agnew replaced Barrera.
“Any fight with any level opponent can create problems for a fighter,” Bivol said. “This is boxing and anything can happen. I think that if I follow the plan that we have set everything is going to be good.”
Medzhid Bektimirov, Agnew’s sparring partner since 2012, said Agnew should win as long as he avoids the mistakes he made against Kovalev, namely leaving himself a stationary target and fighting with a low punch output.
“His defense and counter offense is best,” Bektimirov said through translator Radmir Akhmedeyiv. “But he shouldn’t wait like he did with Kovalev. He’s got to work and make things happen.”
Peter Lim is a freelance writer.