Dmitry Bivol could put himself in a position to have a lucrative rematch with Canelo Alvarez if he defeats undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev in their rematch on February 22 in Riyadh.
Beterbiev stands in the way
Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn says that if Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) defeats Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) next month, Canelo could reach 175 to challenge for the undisputed championship.
The way Beterbiev finished the match strong, Chase is frightened and tired looking Bivol is likely to win around the ring in the rematch on February 22. Canelo has said nothing about his desire to fight Beterbiev if he wins the second fight with Bivol. The only person who has any chance of fighting the famous Mexican superstar is Bivol for obvious reasons. He's a brilliant fighter.
The original hope was for Bivol to defeat Beterbiev in their showdown on October 12 and then face Canelo for all the gold. Unfortunately for Dmitry and Hearn, Beterbiev won a 12-round majority to spoil things.
“I'm not sure what Canelo will do. What are the other fights for him? Crawford, I don't see that happening. (David) Benavidez is 175 now,” Eddie Hearn said. “I don't think he'll ever get back to 168, and he's having a great fight against (David) Morrell.” Trampling ground A YouTube channel talks about Canelo Alvarez's options.
“If Bivol beats Beterbiev in the rematch, Canelo can rematch Bivol for the undisputed championship at 175. It's a big carrot. It's a tough fight,” Hearn said.
It's understandable why Hearn would be interested in a rematch between Canelo and Bivol; He will bring in a lot of money, and his fighter Bivol will be the favorite to win. It's not a bout where Bivol is in high risk of losing, as it would be if he moved up to cruiserweight to challenge IBF champion Jay Obitaya. That would be a nightmare for Bivol.
Canelo has not mentioned his interest in a rematch with Bivol recently, and it is questionable whether he would do so unless the money was huge. He has options at 168 against Terence Crawford and several other fighters. Bivol was much bigger than Canelo in their fight three years ago, and a rematch seems pointless.
First Canelo-Bivol fight
Three years ago, on May 7, 2022, Bivol defeated Canelo by 12-round unanimous decision at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The scores were 115-113 x 3, but the fight seemed much more one-sided. Canelo later said that he suffered from injuries and did not train well. He initially wanted a rematch but then changed his mind and never reviewed the idea.
