Dmitry Bivol is open to a rematch with Canelo Alvarez but would prefer to fight for his former rival's undisputed titles at 168lb.
Bivol yesterday defended his WBA 175lb world title against undefeated challenger Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez in Abu Dhabi, picking up a points victory after putting together yet another punch-perfect masterclass to dominate the clash. This comes just six months after picking up an astonishing win against former pound-for-pound king Alvarez back in May, where he put on a similar boxing clinic to maintain his unbeaten record.
Speculation heightened that it would indeed be Alvarez who gets his chance in 2023 to avenge his loss to Bivol, providing he has recovered after having surgery on a hand injury. But Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has suggested that the Russian could look to instead fight Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed 175lb crown if the fight cannot be made at 168lb.
“It’s pretty obvious that Dmitry Bivol is about legacy and belts. He wants to become undisputed. That’s his absolute main focus,” Hearn revealed at yesterday's post-fight press conference when asked if Bivol will fight Alvarez next. “Obviously, on my side, we want to make the biggest fights possible. The Canelo Alvarez rematch is a very big fight, but the priority for Dmitry is to be the undisputed.
“However, if Beterbiev fights Yarde in January or February and then goes into Ramadan, then he probably won’t be ready to fight Dmitry until June, July, whatever. We have to look as a team.
"We also have to look at the possibility of Dmitry fighting Canelo at 168 for undisputed. He could fight Canelo Alvarez at 168 for undisputed. If he won that fight, he could fight Beterbiev in his next fight for undisputed at 175 and become a two-time undisputed champion in two fights.
“And also, there’s a chance Canelo might say no. 'I lost at 175lb. I want to fight Bivol at that weight, not 168lb'. Look, there’s no Canelo, there’s no Beterbiev. He’s [Bivol] going to want to fight, but it has to now be - It’s not just a case of Dmitry Bivol just fighting. He’s going to want the right deal, he’s going to want the right opponent, and he’s going to want the right plan."
Who wins if the pair rematch at 168lb - Canelo Alvarez or Dmitry Bivol? Let us know in the comments section below
Alvarez recently suffered a hand injury during his trilogy win over Gennady Golovkin in September which saw him bounce back from his loss to Bivol. The Mexican was unsuccessful in his second leap to 175lb but is keen to put things right by making chances if he is able to touch gloves with the champion again.
"I'm going to try again for sure," Alvarez told DAZN "I tried to gain weight and win this championship, but we didn't make it. But we are going to try again. I would look to be in much better physical condition, prepare myself for the 12 rounds. A different strategy to the one I used with my opponents at 168 pounds."
