Dmitry Bivol Would Happily Forego Canelo Rematch for Unification Fights
WBA Super light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol (20-0, 11KOs) is riding high after his major upset win over Canelo Alvarez (57-2-2, 39KOs) on May 7. He displayed his well-rounded skills and ring IQ to a broader scope of casual fans who don’t follow boxing on a regular basis.
Now that the fight is over, everyone wants to know what’s next for him. While theoretically he has plenty of options, in reality that’s not the case. This is because Alvarez has a rematch clause that legally binds Bivol to face him again, if Alvarez evokes it. However, if you think the WBA 175-pound champion is looking forward to another fight with the undisputed super middleweight champion, then think again!
I HAVE TO, NOT WANT TO!
A guest on the DAZN boxing show, Bivol made it clear that while he has no problem giving his Mexican adversary a rematch, his immediate goal is to become undisputed at 175.
“I wanted this fight to get more attention so that I could show my skills to many fans and introduce myself to boxing fans. Now that I have it, a rematch with Canelo is not my goal. I have a goal of having more belts in the light heavyweight division. Of course, it’s not the first thing I want to do. I have a goal to be undisputed!”
Obviously what he wants will have to take a backseat to a rematch with Alvarez, if the rematch clause is evoked. Furthermore, considering how one-sided the fight was, a rematch is something that’s not needed. It would only happen because of the pride and competitive nature of the Mexican champion. As the cash cow and face of the sport of boxing, this loss won’t stop the cash from flowing in. It may increase it as people are going to be extremely interested in seeing how he bounces back, whether it’s against Bivol or some other opponent.
Regardless of what happens, Bivol has guaranteed an uptick in fight purses with the win over the face of boxing. That’ll be an extra something he brings to the table if and when he faces the winner of the July 18 unification bout between IBF and WBC champion Artur Beterbiev and WBO champion Joe Smith Jr.
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By: Jerrell Fletcher
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