Canelo Alvarez set for rematch against WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol
Canelo Alvarez confirmed he will fight WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol in a rematch. The bout will take place in September 2023, but before the match occurs, Alvarez must successfully defend the undisputed super middleweight championship against John Ryder on May 6th in Mexico. The champion will experience a homecoming for the bout, with a partisan crowd backing him against the British boxer.
Alvarez has a record of 58-2, but one of those two defeats was against Bivol. In May 2022, Bivol schooled the Mexican living legend for 12 rounds, winning by unanimous decision. Alvarez went on to fight Gennady Golovkin for a final time in September 2022, winning on a unanimous decision to rebound from the defeat. Now, Alvarez is aiming to box against Bivol but must get by Ryder with his belts intact.
Boxing fans are debating whether Alvarez can defeat Bivol in the rematch. Fans can get the bet365 bonus before betting on the boxer they believe will win the big fight.
Can Alvarez defeat Bivol in the rematch?
Despite being one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world, Alvarez may not be able to avenge his previous defeat to Bivol. The Russian fighter is 21-0 in professional boxing. He dominated Alvarez during their first fight, and the Mexican’s fans have already expressed worries over another defeat.
Alvarez is 32 years old and goes into a difficult stretch as super middleweight champion. He has proven himself as a fantastic fighter but is desperate to defeat Bivol. Alvarez hadn’t lost a fight since September 2014, when Floyd Mayweather defeated him for WBC and The Ring light middleweight titles. The Mexican then went on a 16-fight unbeaten streak before losing to Bivol in 2022.
Alvarez turned down lucrative fight contract
While Alvarez is set to fight Ryder and Bivol, it recently emerged he turned down the chance to box David Benavidez last year. Promoter PBC offered Alvarez two high-profile, lucrative matches against Jermal Charlo and Benavidez. PBC offered Alvarez $100 million for the two matches.
In the end, Alvarez re-signed with boxing promoter Matchroom, which is operated by Eddie Hearn. Alvarez’s first fight of his three-match contract with Matchroom was the defeat to Bivol. A disappointing outing against Golovkin followed. May’s fight against Ryder has already produced low expectations amongst fans. Ryder isn’t expected to trouble Alvarez. The upside for the Mexican is getting to fight Ryder in Mexico at the Akron Stadium.
Benavidez on the horizon
Benavidez defeated Caleb Plant on March 25 via unanimous decision. After retaining his WBC interim super middleweight title, Benavidez laid down a challenge to Alvarez. Benavidez claims he has earned a fight against Alvarez.
The Mexican responded by simply saying he has goals for 2023, and afterwards will consider Benavidez’s challenge. A fight between the pair would be a major box-office event. Of course, that may all depend on whether Alvarez defeats Ryder and Bivol.
Alvarez’s former promoter, Oscar de la Hoya, has claimed the Mexican is “regressing”. In De la Hoya’s opinion, Alvarez should be fighting the best boxers in the world rather than an assortment of British fighters. A bout against Benavidez would put Alvarez back into the ring with a top boxer.
