Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez vs. Dimitry Bivol | DAZN PPV - May 7, 2022

[Ruthless-RKO]

Most impressive thing. Canelo made literally everyone from 160 to 175 just silently waiting with no scheduled fight. Everyone just waiting for payday, wasting their prime years. Even Golovkin, who is popular, wealthy, proven fighter. Just sitting, and waiting for a paycheck. This will be a bit harsh, but those guys act like a whores and waiting if pimp (Canelo) will pick them.

yea, Canelos carrer is incredible but he has kinda killed boxing from 160-175... Those that havent fought him yet wait. those that have fought him are too rich to care...

He's not very vocal.

He or Eddy should say to some of them, beat this guy and i'll consider fighting you.. something along them lines.

Something Mayweather did a little bit..

[apollo creed]

From Golovkin, Bivol, Beterbiev, Benavidez, Charlo .... this is probably most chalenging fight for Canelo. I would not be surprised if he lost this. Still going in this with close UD for Alvarez.

Indeed Bivol is the best of them but style wise Canelo beats Bivol. Bivol is susceptible for counters bc he's more of an unidimensional fighter and Canelo is a master of setting traps, baits and counters.

If Beterbiev would have Bivol's age atm, he'd be a very serious threat to Canelo.

[JxhDel.]

This is 50/50 and the best opponent for Nelo in almost five years.

[668907]

From Golovkin, Bivol, Beterbiev, Benavidez, Charlo .... this is probably most chalenging fight for Canelo. I would not be surprised if he lost this. Still going in this with close UD for Alvarez.

Indeed Bivol is the best of them but style wise Canelo beats Bivol. Bivol is susceptible for counters bc he's more of an unidimensional fighter and Canelo is a master of setting traps, baits and counters.

If Beterbiev would have Bivol's age atm, he'd be a very serious threat to Canelo.

Beterbiev turned pro late, he won the ibf vacant belt at age 32 and unified vs Gvozdyk at 34.

[Blodhemn]

People always sleep on Beterbiev, as he continues to put opponents to sleep. He has more dimensions than Bivol. Does Bivol even have a plan B? He seems like a guy a bit too refined in one area. Fights from midrange only - same few combos, etc. And clearly not as strong nor powerful as Beterbiev. Good fighter obviously, but Artur would break him down. Wouldn't be surprised that Canelo is stronger than Bivol.

[Enlightened-One]

People always sleep on Beterbiev, as he continues to put opponents to sleep.

To be fair, people are “sleeping” on Beterbiev, because he’s been very inactive for a fighter competing in the paid ranks for almost nine years, coupled with the fact his resume is relatively weak in comparison to his peers at 175lbs (i.e. Smith Jr. and Bivol).

I think people realise that Beterbiev is a very decent fighter, but because he’s often out-of-sight, then he's often out-of-mind.

He has more dimensions than Bivol. Does Bivol even have a plan B?

I’ve only seen Beterbiev have one fighting style.

Wouldn't be surprised that Canelo is stronger than Bivol.

I agree.

[apollo creed]

Canelo would beat the 175 champs which is an ATG achievement for a 1.75 m, former 154 pounder.

[adislav123]

brace for another 'highly controversial' decision = robbery.

[KiwiRider]

brace for another 'highly controversial' decision = robbery.

Well, as long as your bracing for it, and don't lose your sh*t afterwards

[Ruthless-RKO]

Depending what WBA do.. this might not be sanctioned and would be a non-title bout.

Something DAZN/Hearn and Canelo won’t be happy about.

They may as well just strip Bivol if that’s the case.. or have the title at stake for Bivol.

The orgs are saying they won’t sanction bouts, for how long? Does the title remain with the Russian boxer?

[Ruthless-RKO]

Canelo-Bivol Will Be Non-Title Fight If WBA Won't Sanction Because Bivol Is Russian Citizen

Canelo Alvarez and Dmitry Bivol expect to meet May 7 regardless of whether they fight for Bivol’s WBA light heavyweight title.

Boxing Scene learned Tuesday night that the WBA’s public stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will not impact the status of the card headlined by Mexico’s Alvarez and Russia’s Bivol. The WBA, along with the IBF, WBC and WBO, have jointly announced that those sanctioning organizations will monitor the approval of championship matches involving Russian boxers as long as this unprovoked attack lasts in Ukraine.

Bivol (19-0, 11 KOs), a WBA 175-pound champion since May 2016, was born in Tokmak, Kyrgyzstan, but he has long resided in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Though a Russian citizen, Bivol has not expressed support for Russian president Vladimir Putin, who has been condemned internationally for initiating the invasion of Ukraine and killing countless innocent Ukrainian citizens. Bivol has arrived in Southern California for a press conference Wednesday in San Diego to officially launch the promotion of his fight versus Alvarez and to begin training camp in Indio.

It was not clear Tuesday night if the typically reserved Bivol will address the war in Russia before, during or after the press conference Wednesday.

Regardless, barring an injury or some other interruption that could cause a delay, Alvarez and Bivol will part ways after Wednesday to complete preparations for a 12-round fight DAZN will stream as part of Alvarez’s two-fight deal with the streaming service that once signed him to an ill-fated 10-fight, $365 million deal.

The card headlined by Alvarez-Bivol is expected to be held either at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas or SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, the site last month of Super Bowl LVI and the home venue of the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers.

If the WBA doesn’t sanction Alvarez-Bivol as a title fight, it would largely defeat the purpose of Alvarez moving back up to the light heavyweight division. Had he known the Russia-Ukraine war would prohibit the WBA from sanctioning it as a championship match, he could’ve required Bivol to move down from 175 pounds to the 168-pound limit to fight for Alvarez’s IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO super middleweight titles and the accompanying payday.

Alvarez officially chose Bivol over WBC middleweight champ Jermall Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs) last week for his next fight. An Alvarez-Charlo fight for Alvarez’s four 168-pound championships would’ve been distributed by Showtime Pay-Per-View on May 7.

If Alvarez beats Bivol, he is expected to face rival Gennadiy Golovkin a third time September 17 in another high-profile fight DAZN would stream. Kazakhstan’s Golovkin (41-1-1, 36 KOs) also needs to beat Japan’s Ryota Murata (16-2, 13 KOs) in a middleweight title unification fight that has been rescheduled for April 9, according to an ESPN.com report Tuesday night, to maintain his place in a third fight with Alvarez.

[Bandog]

Because of the fact that Bivol is Russian, I doubt it happens.

[apollo creed]

I doubt that wba would not want that Canelo to be their 175 super champion. Fees!

[Blodhemn]

People always sleep on Beterbiev, as he continues to put opponents to sleep.

To be fair, people are “sleeping” on Beterbiev, because he’s been very inactive for a fighter competing in the paid ranks for almost nine years, coupled with the fact his resume is relatively weak in comparison to his peers at 175lbs (i.e. Smith Jr. and Bivol).

I think people realise that Beterbiev is a very decent fighter, but because he’s often out-of-sight, then he's often out-of-mind.

He has more dimensions than Bivol. Does Bivol even have a plan B?

I’ve only seen Beterbiev have one fighting style.

Wouldn't be surprised that Canelo is stronger than Bivol.

I agree.

His promoters have been abysmal - he was ready to fight top competition straight out of the amateurs.

I’ve only seen Beterbiev have one fighting style.

Fights midrange and inside - box or brawl. Excellent timing, underrated hand speed, works the entire target from head to body.

[squiggy]

How are a quarter of the respondents thinking that Bivol by decision is really a possible outcome?

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Enlightened-One]

This fight probably won’t happen.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

Canelo-Bivol Light Heavyweight Title Fight To Land At T-Mobile Arena

Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez will return to Las Vegas on Cinco de Mayo weekend for the first time in three years.

The four-division champion and pound-for-pound king has settled on T-Mobile Arena as the home for his next fight versus WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol (19-0, 11KOs). The bout will take place live on DAZN Pay-Per-View, the sports streaming service’s first event exclusively on that platform.

Alvarez (57-1-2, 39KOs) will appear at T-Mobile Arena for the sixth time in his career, having headlined the very first boxing event at the venue in May 2016. His last appearance on site came in May 2019, when Alvarez outpointed Daniel Jacobs in their WBA/WBC/IBF middleweight title unification bout. Alvarez was still with Golden Boy Promotions at the time, while Jacobs was represented by Matchroom Boxing who takes the lead for the May 7 event.

“This is my first time promoting Canelo in Las Vegas,” Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Sport chairman told BS.com. “I’ve been on the other side (with Jacobs, and also having promoted Rocky Fielding who Alvarez beat via third-round knockout in December 2018 at Madison Square Garden). Cinco de Mayo weekend, it’s going to be a massive, massive turnout.”

For Alvarez, it’s a second straight fight in Las Vegas. The Mexican icon from Guadalajara made history in his previous visit, becoming the sport’s first-ever undisputed super middleweight champion following an eleventh-round knockout of Caleb Plant last November at MGM Grand Garden Arena.

The upcoming challenge for Bivol’s light heavyweight title marks Alvarez’s fifteenth career fight in Las Vegas, where he holds three of the five highest-grossing events in boxing history.

Included among the lot are his pair of middleweight championship fights with Gennadiy Golovkin (41-1-1, 36KOs), who is on the back-end of the two-fight deal Alvarez signed with Matchroom and DAZN. Each of their two fights took place at T-Mobile, with their September 2017 meeting ending in a highly questionable twelve-round draw and with Alvarez claiming a majority decision and the WBA/WBC middleweight titles in the rematch.

Wins by Alvarez on May 7 and Golovkin in an April 9 IBF/WBA middleweight title unification match with Ryota Murata (16-2, 13KOs) in Saitama, Japan will set up the trilogy bout eyed for September 17. A location has not yet been selected for that fight; BS.com has learned that the deal lo land Canelo-Bivol at T-Mobile Arena was reached late Tuesday evening.

Bivol will fight in Las Vegas for just the second time in his career, though his tenth in the United States. The 31-year-old Kyrgyzstan-born boxer—who has lived in St. Petersburg, Russia since age eleven but who trains in California—last fought in Las Vegas in June 2017, immediately preceding his current WBA light heavyweight title reign. The moment came in a fourth-round knockout of Cedric Agnew, going on to knock out Trent Broadhurst in the first-round of their November 2017 title fight in Monte Carlo.

Seven title defenses have followed for Bivol, including a twelve-round decision win over Umar Salamov last December in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

[Enlightened-One]

I’ve been watching several YouTube videos of David Benavidez’s team discussing the Canelo-Bivol fight, and here are my immediate takeaways:

• Benavidez and Bivol have sparred hundreds of rounds, with each session lasting roughly six rounds apiece.
• Those that watched their sparring sessions claimed it was like watching real fights.
• Benavidez regards Bivol as a small light heavyweight, who might even be “smaller” than some of Canelo’s most recent opponents.
• Benavidez regards Bivol as being an elite-level fighter.
• Benavidez claims Bivol is a one-trick pony, but that “one-trick” is extremely effective.
• Bivol is a stereotypical technical upright Eastern European fighter that keeps things simple by mainly throwing one-two combos.
• When Bivol throws the one-two combination, his right hand is very powerful, and it’s a punch that has to be slipped, because it cannot be blocked using the guard, due to the Russian putting so much leverage behind that shot.
• Bivol’s main weakness is caused by his main strength, because his simple one-two combo’s can be timed and countered, which is tailor-made for Canelo’s fighting style.
• And apparently Bivol doesn’t throw much punch variety and he rarely works the body.

Those comments suggest that Canelo might lose some of the early rounds to Bivol, whilst trying to adapt to the Russian’s awkward fighting style, such as learning to cope with the lateral movement and his excellent one-two combinations, but the Mexican will eventually start to time his opponents’ shots and gain the winning momentum from round five onwards.

This fight will probably result in a close decision victory for Canelo, due to the Mexican winning most of the rounds from the fifth round onwards.

If Bivol doesn’t have a plan B, and is unable to adopt an alternative gameplan when Canelo eventually adapts to his one-two punch combinations, then the second half of the bout will become one-sided, but the final scorecard totals will probably be close due to the Russian's early lead.

I might change my prediction nearer the fight-date (assuming the Ukraine situation doesn’t result in the bout being cancelled), but those are my immediate thoughts based on the research I’ve performed so far.

[apollo creed]

If Canelo will beat Bivol clearly it would be a bigger win than Callum, BJS and Plant wins combined.

[Ruthless-RKO]

If Canelo will beat Bivol clearly it would be a bigger win than Callum, BJS and Plant wins combined.

Wouldn’t say combined.

It’s a new division completely.

[Enlightened-One]

The Klitschko brothers have just demanded the US authorities ban Russian Dmitry Bivol from boxing Canelo Alvarez

[margaret thatcher]

i respect the klits, but hope they dont get their way here. i dont know that punishing individual russian boxers, who arent even fighting in russia, is the way to go.

bivol has stated himself that he has friends in both countries and wants peace as soon as possible