Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn says Canelo Alvarez is “devastated” by his defeat at the hands of WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol last Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Hearn reveals that he went to the golf course with Canelo (57-2-2, 39 KOs) last Sunday, a day after his 12-round unanimous decision loss to Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs), and he says the Mexican star was really upset.
Hearn says Canelo told him that he was “tired” during the fight with Bivol, and his performance suffered. According to Hearn, Canelo and his trainer/manager Eddy Reynoso believe they can defeat Bivol in the rematch.
He thinks that’s the direction that Canelo will take rather than face Gennadiy Golovkin in September.
“I think the rematch is very interesting. I think Saul would adapt in a rematch; maybe he’ll train and have a better camp, I don’t know,” said Eddie Hearn to iFL TV on a rematch between Canelo Alvarez and Dmitry Bivol for September 17th.
“Makabu was an easier fight than Bivol. Bivol showed how good he was. There were always feelings from people that Bivol was an exceptional fighter, and he proved it.
“For a long time, people thought that Bivol had the ability to be a pound-for-pound great fighter, and he proved it. What people don’t see is how devastated they [Canelo and Anthony Joshua were in defeat.
“I went to the golf course with him the next day for six or seven holes, devastated,” Hearn said of Canelo. “He’s got to come back stronger, and he will.
“I asked him, ‘How did you feel?’ And he said, ‘I felt tired, to be honest with you,'” said Hearn in his conversation with Canelo after his loss to Bivol.
“I thought he looked tired after three or four rounds. I said, ‘Did you have a good camp?’ ‘Yeah, a few niggles like every fighter does. No excuses; I didn’t feel great in there. Maybe it was the weight.’ He [Canelo] didn’t make weight. He probably ate his way up to 174.
“He also acknowledged that Dmitry Bivol boxed really well. I think the move may be to look at Gennady Golovkin and then Dmitry Bivol.
“But they believe they can beat Bivol, and if they believe they can beat him, there’s a very good chance they’ll take that challenge again next,” said Hearn about Canelo and his trainer Reynoso’s plans for their next fight.
If they take the immediate rematch with Bivol, Hearn expects it’ll take place in September at 175 rather than at 168. He says Canelo will want to fight Bivol at the same weight that he lost because it would make him a target for criticism if he tried to gain an edge against the champion.
Bivol has already said that he’s on board with the idea of coming down to 168 to fight for the undisputed championship against Canelo.
If Bivol were to beat Canelo to become the undisputed champion at 168, he could then move back to 175 and do the same in that weight class.
