Dmitry Bivol says he’d be open to the idea of fighting Canelo Alvarez at 168 for his undisputed super middleweight championship in their rematch in September.
For the rematch to occur at 168, Canelo would need to let go of his goal of becoming the undisputed champion at light heavyweight.
Canelo had talked frequently of wanting to become a two-division undisputed champion during the build-up to his fight with Bivol. The Mexican star would need to forget about that idea if he wants to gain an advantage by fighting Bivol at 168.
Given how one-sided the Canelo-Bivol fight was, DAZN and Matchroom Boxing would do well to make the rematch at 168 because some fans would believe Canelo will have a better chance of defeating Bivol.
For that fight, Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs) would be drop-down seven pounds to meet Canelo in his normal weight class, which would give him a badly-needed advantage in the rematch.
It would be a good idea for Canelo to press for the rematch at 168, considering his chances of winning at 175 against the talented Russian are remote at best.
Last Saturday, Canelo (57-2-2, 39 KOs) was outboxed by the taller, more technically skilled WBA light heavyweight champion Bivol in losing a 12-round unanimous decision at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Bivol revealed on Sunday that he weighed 183 lbs last Saturday night, which likely put him at the same weight as Canelo. Promoter Eddie Hearn said Canelo would weigh around 178 lbs. However, Canelo said that he would weigh 180
Not surprisingly, Canelo’s fans want him to move on, return to the 168-lb division, and forget about a rematch with Bivol. They feel that Bivol is too big for Canelo and the wrong style for him to have success in the rematch.
“Seven or eight maybe out of ten,” WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol said to Fight Hub TV when asked to rate his performance on a ten-scale for his victory over Canelo Alvarez.
“Yes, of course, every time, you have to be better. It’s not 100%; I made mistakes, I got hit by punches,” Bivol said about his performance.
“I don’t know [if Canelo should take the rematch]. Yeah, 168 for all of the belts, of course, it’s good. Why not?” said Bivol about whether he’d be interested in fighting Canelo for his undisputed super middleweight championship in the rematch in September.
“Yeah, I think, yes,” Bivol said when asked if he could make 168. “Maybe, I could. I have to think about it. 175 for me, I don’t feel it’s a problem.
“Maybe I can make 168. Before Coronavirus, I was 100% I could make [168], but coronavirus gives me more [weight]. I was sitting at home raising my fat.
“I want to say thank you to all of the boxing fans that watched my fight and believed in me,” said Bivol. “I want to congratulate everyone that bet on me and earned money.
“Don’t just boxers for media stuff. Just boxers for boxing skills. Maybe, why not?” said Bivol when asked about him potentially fighting Canelo at 168.
