Dmitry Bivol could put himself in position for a lucrative rematch with Canelo Alvarez if he defeats undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev in their February 22 rematch in Riyadh.
Beterbiev stands in the way
Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn says if Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) defeats Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) next month, Canelo could move up to 175 to challenge him for the undisputed championship.
The way Beterbiev finished strong, chasing a scared and tired look Bivol around the ring, it is likely that he will win the rematch on February 22nd. Canelo has said nothing about wanting to fight Beterbiev if he wins the second fight with Bivol. The only one who has any chance of fighting the popular Mexican star is Bivol for obvious reasons. He is a finesse fighter.
The original hope was that Bivol would beat Beterbiev in their showdown on October 12 and then face Canelo for all the gold. Unfortunately for Dmitry and Hearn, Beterbiev won a 12 round majority decision to spoil things.
“I’m not sure what Canelo is going to do. What other fights are there for him? Crawford, I don’t see it happening. (David) Benavidez is now up to 175. I don’t think he’ll ever get back to 168, and he’s got a good fight against (David) Morrell,” Eddie Hearn said. The pounding ground YouTube channel, talking about Canelo Alvarez’s options.
“If Bivol beats Beterbiev in the rematch, Canelo could reconsider Bivol for the undisputed championship at 175. It’s a big carrot. It’s a tough fight,” Hearn said.
It’s understandable why Hearn would be interested in a Canelo-Bivol rematch; it will bring in a lot of money, and its fighter, Bivol, will be a heavy favorite to win. It’s not like a bout where Bivol is at high risk of losing, like if he moves up to cruiserweight to challenge IBF champion Jai Opetaia. It would be a nightmare for Bivol.
Canelo hasn’t mentioned wanting a rematch with Bivol lately, and it’s doubtful he would unless the money is big. He has options at 168 against Terence Crawford and several other fighters. Bivol was way too big for Canelo in their fight three years ago, and a rematch seems pointless.
The first Canelo-Bivol fight
Three years ago, on May 7, 2022, Bivol defeated Canelo by a 12-round unanimous decision at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The scores were 115-113 x 3, but the fight looked much more one-sided than that. Canelo later said he was fighting injuries and not training well. He initially wanted a rematch, but then changed his mind and never revisited the idea.
