Dmitry Bivol could put himself in position for a lucrative rematch with Canelo Alvarez if he defeats undisputed lightweight champion Artur Beterbiev in their February 22 rematch in Riyadh.
Beterbiev stopped in the street
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 undisputed championship.
The way Beterbiev finished strong, chasing a frightened and tired look Bivol around the ring, it is likely that he will win the rematch on February 22. Canelo has said nothing about wanting to fight Beterbiev if he is victorious in the second fight with Bivol. The only one who has a chance to fight the famous Mexican star is Bivol for obvious reasons. It is a finesse fighter.
The original expectation was that Bivol would beat Beterbiev in their October 12 clash and that he would face Canelo for all the gold. Unfortunately for Dmitry and Hearn, Beterbiev earned a 12 round majority decision to end things.
“I’m not sure what Canelo is going to 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’ll ever go back to 168, and he had a great fight against (David) Morrell,” said Eddie Hearn to The Land of Stomping YouTube channel, talking about the options of Canelo Alvarez.
“If Bivol beats Beterbiev in the rematch, Canelo can replace 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; will bring you a lot of money, and his fighter, Bivol, would be a heavy favorite to win. It’s not like a match where Bivol would be at a big risk of losing, like if he were to move up to cruiserweight to challenge IBF champion Jai Opetaia. It would be a nightmare for Bivol.
Canelo hasn’t talked about wanting a rematch with Bivol lately, and it’s doubtful if he did 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 seemed pointless.
The first Canelo-Bivol fight
Three years ago, on May 7, 2022, Bivol defeated Canelo by a 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 been struggling with injuries and had not trained well. He initially wanted a rematch, but later changed his mind and never revisited the idea.
