Trainer Andre Rozier is predicting a worse outcome for Canelo Alvarez in a rematch with Dmitry Bivol, be it at 175 or 168. It won’t help Canelo (57-2-2, 39 KOs) to use his A-side status to drag Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs) down to drain him to pick up a win at 168 for the rematch.
Rozier feels that with Bivol being a small to medium-sized light heavyweight, he can make 168, and Canelo will have just as many problems fighting him down in that weight as he did last Saturday night at 175.
Bivol checks every box in terms of areas of his game that Canelo inherently struggles with. We’re talking about mobility, boxing skills, stamina, chin, and combination punching.
The one benefit Canelo would have in fighting Bivol again is that it would give him an excuse for not returning to the 168-lb division to face David Benavidez.
There’s a ton of pressure on Canelo to fight the undefeated two-time WBC super-middleweight champion Benavidez (25-0, 22 KOs), and he can’t get away with avoiding him without it being obvious. You can argue that it already is apparent to some boxing fans that Canelo is ducking him.
Bivol still too good for Canelo at 168
“If they fought again, it would be even worse,” said Andre Rozier to Fighthype about a second bout between Canelo and Bivol in September. “Just a worse performance.
“It’s not a good look for him. Size does matter,” said Rozier about the 175-lb division not being good for Canelo in facing Bivol a second time.
“He’s the bigger man, longer man, and stronger man,” Rozier said of Bivol. “It made itself apparent in the bout. No, I really don’t because Bivol sort of balances in the middle,” Rozier stated when asked if Canelo could do better against Bivol at 168.
“If I was Bivol, I’d be careful too because I’m ruling supreme at 175. Sometimes a weight cut is a harsh action that you take upon your body. So if I was him, I’d say, ‘Forget that, stay where you are [at 175], let people come see you.’
“You’ve already dethroned the #1 pound-for-pound fighter [Canelo]. Now it’s time to focus on your legacy and fight Beterbiev or whoever else is coming.
Canelo’s other option for September
“At the advanced age of 40, things change,” Rozier said of Gennadiy Golovkin when asked if he has a better chance of beating Canelo now.
“He might still be a ferocious puncher, but the attack mechanism is slowed down, and the quantity of the attack measures is slowed down.
“It could be a very interesting fight, or because Canelo has definitely gotten better, he could box even better than he did before and win a decision. There will be no knockout. I’ll call that one ahead of time,” Rozier said of Canelo vs. Golovkin III.
