Artur Beterbiev says he is not interested in a fight against Canelo Alvarez unless he has one of the heavyweight belts. Unified 175lb champion Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) says he won’t fight Canelo just for the love of fighting without him holding a belt.
(Photo credit: Leigh Dawney/Queensberry Promotions)
Beterbiev would be a nightmare for Canelo because of his power, aggression and high work rate. Beterbiev’s inside fighting ability would be too much for Canelo, who has never fought anyone like that during his career. It’s usually the best inside, but it’s on another level.
Canelo has never shown any interest in facing Beterbiev, and it is unlikely he would move up to 175 to challenge him for the undisputed championship if he is victorious against WBA champion Dmitry Bivol on Saturday night. Two years ago, Bivol beat Canelo in Las Vegas via a 12-round unanimous decision on May 7, 2022.
Canelo blamed his defeat on an injured hand, but fans saw it as a case of Bivol being too skilled, too big and too conditioned for him. The Mexican star looked like a poor loser, he doesn’t want to admit that he was out of his class against Bivol.
The guy Canelo wants is Bivol (23-0, 12 KO). However, it is not known if he would want to fight if Beterbiev knocks him out on Saturday night. Canelo wants all four belts at 175 to be on the line when he faces Bivol in a rematch, and it won’t be as interesting if he comes into the contest after being knocked out by Beterbiev.
This Saturday, October 12, IBF, WBC, and WBO lightweight champion Beterbiev will face WBA champion Bivol for the undisputed championship at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The winner of the fight will hold all four titles and will be seen as the King of the division.
“Canelo is a lower category. I don’t want to go there,” said Artur Beterbiev to iFL TV when asked if he would be interested in fighting Canelo Alvarez after his bout against Dmitry Bivol on Saturday night. “If he comes to my category and has some belts in my category, yes, I have some interest. But just for nothing, I’m not interested.”
