Fights
Canelo merges with a rematch with Bivol. Afraid to snatch away from the Russian again?
Dmitry Bivol and Saul Alvarez / Photo: © Al Bello / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru
The second fight with the Russian champion was put on the back burner. The cowardly Mexican found a less formidable opponent.
The boxing match between Dmitry Bivol and Saul Alvarez provided for a mandatory rematch if the Mexican lost. After the defeat, Canelo began to declare that he wanted to immediately rehabilitate himself, and Dimitri agreed to give him such an opportunity.
Boxing experts and fans have already discussed possible scenarios for the second fight between these athletes. Even preliminary dates were called.
But Alvarez suddenly changed plans and refused to fight Bivol anytime soon.
Don’t want to hit again?
“We must continue what we started”
The defeat of Alvarez in the fight with Bivol came as a surprise to most viewers and experts who followed this confrontation. Immediately after the loss, Canelo stated that he was ready to re-enter the ring to fight the Russian boxer in the near future. It was planned that the athletes will enter the ring in September.
But the Mexican, apparently moving away from the defeat and soberly assessing his capabilities, abruptly changed his plans. On Monday, Alvarez named the next opponent. They suddenly became not Bivol, but 40-year-old Gennady Golovkin.
– We have already signed a contract with Gennady Golovkin before, so we must continue what we started. I think it will be the two biggest fights in boxing, the fight with Golovkin and the rematch with Bivol, ”Alvarez announced his decision in an interview with ESPN.
The boxer also clarified that he does not refuse revenge, but the fight will take place after the fight with Golovkin.
The confrontation between Canelo and Gennady has a rich history. Opponents have already met twice in the ring. In both fights, GGG failed to win. The first confrontation ended in a draw, and in the second the Mexican won.
Almost four years have passed since the last fight. Golovkin is not getting any younger. He has already exchanged his fifth decade, and age is clearly not in his favor. Canelo is in his prime right now. Of course, one can note the winning streak of the Kazakhstani in recent fights, but the rivals of the legend from Kazakhstan were completely passable.
Bivol only wants a rematch with Alvarez for the money
Canelo’s unexpected decision, it seems, did not really upset the team of Dmitry Bivol. The boxer’s manager Vadim Kornilov shared the Russian’s immediate plans in the light of new events.
– We understood that for Canelo now the fight with Gennady is probably more attractive. We are still monitoring the situation. Dima has many different options: the winner of the fight Beterbiev – Smith, Ramirez, Benavidez, maybe even Munguia, – Kornilov said in an interview with Match TV.
The well-known Russian promoter Vladimir Khryunov expressed doubt that a re-fight between Dmitry and Saul would take place at all.
I don’t think Canelo will ever face Bivol again in his life. This is a move by promoter Eddie Hearn, who, in his opinion, overpaid Canelo. For me it was predictable. Alvarez was defeated. He could not hit Bivol in any position. He doesn’t know and doesn’t understand this boxing,” Khryunov told Match TV.
Indeed, the unification fight looks more preferable for Bivol. From the duel with Alvarez, he got everything he could. Dmitry attracted additional attention to himself from the American audience, and also proved to skeptics that he could box with top class opponents. However, no other fight will bring Dimitri as much money as a rematch with Canelo.
Alvarez, on the other hand, needs to return to the victorious path, which is why he needs a third fight with a veteran from Kazakhstan. But, if you do not smooth the corners, then his decision can be called not strategic, but frankly cowardly. Apparently, once again grabbing from the Russian boxer with a multimillion-dollar audience is not included in the plans of the promoted Mexican.
Source: Sportbox
Hi, my name is Jayden James. I am a writer at Sportish, and I mostly cover sports news. I have been writing since high school and have been published in various magazines and newspapers. I also write book reviews for a website. In my free time, I enjoy playing soccer and basketball.