BIVOL GETTING SPIKY BEFORE ART REMATCH

DMITRY BIVOL is so hellbent on exacting revenge on Artur Beterbiev that he is lying on a bed of metal spikes to RELAX.

- MARTIN DOMIN

Bivol, 34, lost to his bitter rival last October in their light-heavyweight world title fight.

The Russian has an immediate chance to avenge his only career defeat when the rematch tops the bill here on Saturday night.

Bivol is no stranger to extreme training methods and prepared for the sequel in sub-zero temperatures in snowcovered Kyrgyzstan.

But even when his working day is done, he can only find peace through pain. "Of course it's painful but you need to relax, to not feel the pain," Bivol said of his acupuncture mat. "If you tense then you feel pain but, when you relax, your body melts and you don't feel the pain. If you tense, then of course it hurts.