DMITRY Bivol’s parents, Yelena and Yuriy, deserve a great deal of credit for their continuous support and selfless sacrifices.
On October 12, 2024, he will square off against Artur Beterbiev, with his parents supporting him all the way. The winner will become the unchallenged light-heavyweight champion of the world.Origins and lineageYelena, the mother of Dmitry Bivol, was born in Kazakhstan during the Soviet Union’s rule.
Later, her Korean-American family moved to Kyrgyzstan.
Large waves of Korean immigrants came in the former Russian Empire in and around 1870, and they went on to become one of the major ethnic groups in the USSR.
The area that is today known as Moldova was once known as Bessarabia, where Dmitry’s father Yuriy was born.He spoke solely Moldovan at home until he was ten years old.
Yuriy and Yelena’s unionYelena and Yuriy moved to Russia for their education, which is where their love story began.
They got married after graduating from college, but there are no pictures of their special day online.
The decision was taken by the pair to relocate to Yelena’s native Kyrgyzstan.Dmitry was born here on December 18, 1990, in the city of Tokmok.
Daily existence in KyrgyzstanYelena and Yuriy started farming in Tokmok to provide for their growing family in the recently independent Kyrgyzstan.
Dmitry developed a strong interest in combat sports during these formative years.
When he was younger, he started practicing wushu after seeing Jackie Chan movies, and then he switched to boxing.
Dmitry’s father took him to a boxing gym when he was six years old.
Sensing his son’s enthusiasm, Yuri agreed to be Dmitry’s first boxing instructor.
Make exquisite, traditional boxing
Bivol YuriHe went with him to practices and tournaments even though the family didn’t have much money.
The young warrior trained and competed in ballet shoes because equipment was expensive and difficult to obtain.
Nevertheless, he defeated his father in each of his first 23 battles, winning every competition he participated in.
Developing a ChampionYuriy was instrumental in helping Dmitry hone his unique boxing technique.
He recounted the instruction he offered his young son in an interview with Russian media: “I have always told my son, don’t show the spectators the snot, the blood, busted lips and nose.”Make exquisite, traditional boxing.”
This instruction would serve as the cornerstone of Dmitry’s sophisticated and successful fighting style.
The price of successWhen Dmitry was eleven years old in 2002, the Bivol family took the momentous decision to move to Russia.
The main driving force behind this decision was the wish to provide Dmitry more chances to improve his boxing abilities and achieve his sporting goals.
For the family, moving to Saint Petersburg was a difficult adjustment.Their decision to share a two-bedroom apartment with nine other people is evidence of the compromises they were prepared to make for their son’s future.
To aid the family financially, Yuriy obtained a job driving shuttle buses, and Yelena took care of their house and Dmitry’s training.
A bright futureYelena and Yuriy’s unflinching support became even more important when Dmitry’s boxing career took off.
The family was quite proud of their son’s accomplishments in amateur competitions, which included winning the senior national championship twice by the age of 18 and becoming the champion of a European school.
Even if their own living situations remained modest, the Bivols persisted in making sacrifices to guarantee Dmitry had access to the best training facilities and opportunities.
As of 2024, Dmitry is regarded as one of the greatest boxers in the world, winning the WBA light-heavyweight belt and being one of the finest fighters per pound.Dmitry stays connected to his family and his Saint Petersburg roots even though he trains in Southern California and competes internationally.
Perseverance, humility, and dedication are the characteristics that Yelena and Yuriy instilled in him and which have guided him throughout his professional career.