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 rematch on February 22nd in Riyadh.
Beterbiev Stands In The Way
Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn says that if Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) defeats Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) next month, Canelo can come up to 175 to challenge him for the undisputed championship.
The way Beterbiev finished strong, chasing a frightened and tired-looking Bivol around the ring, it’s likely that he will win the rematch on February 22nd. Canelo has said nothing about wanting to fight Beterbiev if he’s victorious in the second fight with Bivol. The only one who has any shot at fighting the popular Mexican star is Bivol for obvious reasons. He’s a finesse fighter.
The original hope was that Bivol would beat Beterbiev in their clash on October 12th 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 for him? Crawford, I don’t see that happening. [David] Benavidez is now up to 175. I don’t think he’ll ever come back to 168, and he’s got a great fight against [David] Morrell,” said Eddie Hearn to The Stomping Ground YouTube channel, talking about Canelo Alvarez’s options.
“If Bivol beats Beterbiev in the rematch, Canelo can rematch Bivol for the undisputed championship at 175. It’s a big carrot. It’s a tough fight,” said Hearn.
It’s understandable why Hearn would be interested in a Canelo-Bivol rematch; it’ll bring in a lot of money, and his fighter, Bivol, would be a heavy favorite to win. It’s not like a match where Bivol would be at huge risk of losing, like if he moved up to cruiserweight to challenge IBF champion Jai Opetaia. That would be a nightmare for Bivol.
Canelo hasn’t mentioned wanting a rematch with Bivol lately, and it’s questionable whether he would unless the money is huge. 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 would seem 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’d fought with injuries and hadn’t trained well. He initially wanted a rematch but then changed his mind and never revised the idea.
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