Boxing champion Claressa Shields has weighed in on the recent controversy surrounding Dmitry Bivol’s ex-wife, Ekaterina, and her public reaction to his defeat against Artur Beterbiev.
The highly anticipated undisputed light heavyweight title bout took place on October 12, 2024, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Beterbiev emerged victorious with a majority decision, claiming all four major championship belts and handing Bivol his first professional loss.
However, it wasn’t just the fight itself that captured attention. A video of Ekaterina Bivol, Dmitry’s former spouse, celebrating his defeat during a livestream has since gone viral. In the footage, Ekaterina can be heard cheering for Beterbiev and making disparaging remarks about her ex-husband.
Translated comments from Ekaterina include: “Artur! Karma caught up with him … Well, guys, karma caught up with that a**hole. Artur, I’m happy for you. Now my fight is in court.”
The couple’s relationship, which began in 2007 and led to marriage in 2013, ended in divorce in 2023. Since then, Ekaterina has made serious allegations against Dmitry, including claims of domestic violence and abandonment of their two sons, Miron and Nikon.
Claressa Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and five-weight world champion, took to social media to express her disapproval of Ekaterina’s actions. In response to the video, Shields tweeted, “This some evil sh** here,” clearly condemning the public celebration of Bivol’s defeat.
Former mixed martial artist Tam Khan weighed in on the situation, offering a stark perspective on the outcome for both parties. Khan stated, “Bivol made $10 million last night (not including sponsors) and will make much more in the rematch. His stock rose so much. His ex-wife will be still eating cabbage soup in her depressing communist apartment dissing him. He won, period.”
Khan’s comments highlight the financial implications of the bout, suggesting that despite the loss, Bivol’s career prospects remain strong. The former fighter’s remarks also cast a harsh light on Ekaterina’s apparent celebration of her ex-husband’s defeat.
Adding another layer to the controversy, Dmitry Bivol’s manager, Vadim Kornilov, has announced plans to file an official protest regarding the bout’s outcome. Kornilov expressed particular concern over judge Pawel Kardyni’s 116-112 scorecard, stating, “I think the judge has to at least have some kind of responsibility for what he did. It’s becoming very destructive to the sport what they’re doing.”
