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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 can move up to 175 to challenge him for the championship indisputable
The way Beterbiev finished strong, chasing a scared and tired looking one Bivol around the ring, likely to win the rematch on February 22nd. Canelo hasn’t said anything about wanting to fight Beterbiev if he’s victorious in the second fight with Bivol. The only one who has a chance to fight the popular Mexican star is Bivol for obvious reasons. He is an exquisite fighter.
The initial hope was that Bivol would beat Beterbiev in their October 12 showdown 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 will do. What other fights are there for him? Crawford, I don’t see that happening. (David) Benavidez is now up to 175. I don’t think he’s ever going back to 168, and he’s got a great fight against (David) Morrell,” Eddie Hearn told The Stomping Ground YouTube channel, talking about Canelo Alvarez’s options.
“If Bivol beats Beterbiev in the rematch, Canelo can unseat Bivol for the undisputed championship at 175. That’s a big carrot. It’s a tough fight,” Hearn said.
It’s understandable why Hearn would be interested in a Canelo-Bivol rematch; he will bring a lot of money, and his fighter, Bivol, would be a heavy favorite to win. It’s not like a matchup where Bivol would be at a huge risk of losing, like if he was going up to cruiserweight to challenge IBF champion Jai Opetaia. This would be a nightmare for Bivol.
Canelo hasn’t mentioned wanting a rematch with Bivol lately, and it’s questionable if he would unless the money is huge. He has options at 168 against Terence Crawford and several other fighters. Bivol was 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 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 had struggled with injuries and had not been training well. He initially wanted a rematch, but later changed his mind and never revisited the idea.
