Canelo Alvarez still has a chance to fight for the undisputed lightweight championship against four-time belt champion Artur Beterbiev after defeating Dmitry Bivol on Saturday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
If Canelo wants to show the fans that he’s good and not a guy who just handpicks certain fighters, he’ll call Beterbiev to campaign for a fight against him next. His Excellency Turki Alalshikh said on Saturday night that he wants a rematch between Beterbiev and Bivol. However, Turki may change his mind if Canelo volunteers to face Beterbiev next.
The winner of that fight could then face Bivol or the winner of the January 25 fight between David Morrell and David Benavidez. Ideally, there needs to be some kind of semi-final set-up where Bivol faces the Morrell vs. Benavidez winner to challenge King Beterbiev for the undisputed championship. Meanwhile, Canelo will fight Beterbiev next.
Will Canelo Want the Beterbiev Clash?
It will be a very different type of fight for Canelo to face Beterbiev for the undisputed than if he fought the finesse-oriented Bivol, a pure boxer who occasionally shows aggression. Beterbiev would be a different story. He would be like a bigger, bolder and more powerful version of Gennadiy Golovkin.
Canelo has always preferred to fight sluggers who are in his face and attack him with power shots. That’s the type of fight that Canelo has thrived on. However, Beterbiev hits so hard that it would be pure trouble for Canelo if he were to get close and unload with shots like he did with Bivol on Saturday night.
Bivol had won the first rounds against Beterbiev because he was not pressed inside and did not have to deal with his attack. But the fight changed hands once Beterbiev turned it on in the seventh round in response to taking an early takedown from Bivol. Bivol was very afraid to attack, and he was never the same. It was all Beterbiev from the seventh round.
Beterbiev foiled Canelo’s plans
Mexican star Canelo (62-2-2,39 KOs) had hoped to face Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) in a rematch for all the gold at 175, but his 12-time majority decision loss to IBF, WBC, and WBO light heavyweight champion Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) at the Kingdom Arena scrapped those plans.
It’s not the end of the world for Canelo. He can fight for all four belts, but he just won’t be against Bivol unless he agrees to fight for no belts and face a guy he just lost.
