Canelo Alvarez is a man of challenges. They took him to the top of boxing, but they also made him fall from it. Dmitry Bivol was just that, a challenge, one he could not overcome. After being defeated by the Russian, Alvarez wants a rematch, but, apparently, he would have to deal with the will of someone else: his partner and Bivol’s promoter, Eddie Hearn.
Canelo’s working relationship with the Matchroom Boxing Chairman began in 2020, when the Mexican fought Callum Smith for the WBC and WBA Super middleweight belts in his first fight as a free agent. The relationship extended to Alvarez’s next fight, against Billy Joe Saunders, in which he won another 168-pound belt, that of the WBO.
Although the relationship between Hearn and Canelo looked solid, almost of camaraderie, the loss to Dmitry Bivol may be the breaking point between them. Will the British promoter be able to please both the Mexican, who is boxing’s biggest product, and the Russian who is facing his big chance to become a world star?
Eddie Hearn’s blow to Canelo Alvarez
Dmitry Bivol took it upon himself to put a damper on Canelo Alvarez’s aspirations for an immediate rematch for the WBA World Light heavyweight title, noting that his big goal is to focus on fights that will allow him to build a legacy at 175 pounds. The Russian mentioned that he wanted to win all four championships in the division and that means facing the winner of Artur Beterbiev vs Joe Smith Jr.
Unexpectedly, Alvarez takes another hit following a statement made by Eddie Hearn about the fights he has in mind to offer Bivol to continue his career in 2022. Surprisingly for the Mexican’s aspirations, his name is not on the list of opponents Hearn and Matchroom Boxing have in mind for Dmitry.
“We will probably give Bivol a big fight in September or October. Either against the winner of Joshua Buatsi vs Craig Richards, Callum Smith or Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez.” said Eddie Hearn during an interview for DAZN Boxing Show.
We will have to wait for the end of what is becoming a real soap opera: some media report that Canelo Alvarez is deciding which fight to take in September, Gennady Golovkin or the rematch with Dmitry Bivol. However, the will of Eddie Hearn could force the completion of the trilogy between the Mexican and the Kazakh.