Canelo Alvarez should follow up on his rematch with Dimitri Bivol.
At the start of 2022, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (58-2-2, 39 KOs) sits atop the boxing world. He was the sport’s biggest financial draw and most publications have ranked him as the best sport fighter in the world.
After becoming the first undisputed middleweight champion of the four-belt era after an 11-round stoppage over then-undefeated Caleb Factory, the Mexican superstar cemented himself as one of the greatest fighters of the last generation. Then he decided to move again to the light heavyweight division.
This past May, Alvarez faced Dimitri Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs) for the WBA Light Heavyweight title. The bout will be Álvarez’s first match in a weight class since November 2019, when he faced Sergey Kovalev for the WBO title. Unlike Kovalev, Bivol is in his prime and the most prolific artist.
Despite Bivol being the same age and an older fighter than Alvarez, the undisputed middleweight champion was as tall as -550 Favorite in some sports books. In some ways, the match was seen as a result forced upon it as another milestone in Alvarez’s resume.
However, Peafowl did not fear the moment or his opponent. He continued to largely dominate Alvarez over the course of 12 rounds. Even with the three judges’ close scorecards of 115-113 each, the bout wasn’t competitive from one round to the next.
After losing to Bivol, Álvarez returned to super middleweight to deal with some unfinished business with rival Gennady Golovkin in a three-way match. The third competition between Alvarez and Golovkin was disappointing. Failed to live up to expectations. And it was relatively one-sided in favor of the Mexican.
There are a large number of options available for Alvarez. Instead of choosing to stay at super middleweight to face the likes of David Benavidez or Jermall Charlo, he wants to step back in the ring with his latest conqueror, Bivol.
“The idea is to come back in May with a tuning battle to see how I feel and then have a rematch against Bivol in September,” Alvarez said. ESPN. “This is the only thing I want in my career right now.”
This decision leaves fans and critics wondering if this is the right move for Alvarez.
Three reasons why Canelo is right to pursue a rematch with Dimitri Bivol
1. AVEnge ONLY LOSS SINCE Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Canelo was the beneficiary of raising his hands in victory in hotly contested fights that could easily have gone the other way. However, the match with Bevol was his first official loss and most definitive defeat since he faced Hall-of-Famer, Floyd Mayweather Jr. in September 2013.
The matches against Erislandy Lara and Golovkin were controversial, as many felt that Álvarez should not get away with a win or a draw. But neither was so decisive as Bivol’s victory.
A similarity to Shane Mosley, Alvarez’s former opponent, comes to mind when considering Bivol’s rematch for the Serie D champions. Mosley lost to amateur rivals Vernon Forrest in 2002 during the height of his fame and Ronald Winky Wright in 2004 at junior welterweight.
Either way, Mosley was comprehensively defeated by every player in the first match and decided to head into a rematch immediately. Although Mosley did better at his second attempt, he still suffered another loss on his record.
Like Mosley, the rematch with Bivol is something personal for Alvarez. A rematch with Floyd Mayweather is unlikely unless Alvarez decides to head into the world of exhibition bouts. And with Mayweather still five years away from turning 50, a victory over him in any form would be almost pointless.
Most observers believe a rematch would have the same outcome and be a more controlled victory for Bevol. But the fans are not the ones who should step into the ring. This is something Alvarez will have to prove to himself regardless of what others think.
2. Re-imposing the rule of pound for pound
After receiving a majority decision over Golovkin in 2018, Alvarez was largely considered the best fighter in boxing. The next few years, including victories at light heavyweight, middleweight and super middleweight, provided further evidence of his claim to the top of the pound-for-pound list.
However, there have always been those who ranked fighters like Terrence Crawford and Naoya Inoue above Alvarez. Either because of their still perfect undefeated records, Alvarez’s clenbuterol test debacle in 2018, or the close nature of his match with Golovkin.
With Bivol’s dominant win over Gilberto Ramirez earlier this month, those who were skeptical and might have thought his win over Alvarez was a fluke have been proven wrong. For Alvarez, beating Bivol at this point will be more important than it would have been in May.
Given that it’s uncertain if Crawford will be stepping into the ring with Errol Spence anytime soon, Alvarez has the opportunity to be the number one fighter pound-for-pound with a win over Bevol.
3. Legalization of the light heavyweight title
In November 2019, Sergey Kovalev was the legal holder of the property at the age of 36. He won a rematch against Elidir Alvarez to capture the WBO Light Heavyweight title and stopped number one contender Anthony Yarde all in 2019 before stepping into the ring with Alvarez.
But using the eye test, the Russian knockout was far from his best form. Alvarez didn’t face the same Kovalev who smashed Bernard Hopkins and pushed Andre Ward to the brink in 2016, but instead, he was a man who was a shell of himself.
Kovalev’s fight for Alvarez was seen at the time as an easy opportunity for the Mexican fighter to win a title in the fourth weight division against the weakest and most underrated champion in the division. If an Álvarez-Bevol rematch comes along, it will be against a fighter who is viewed at worst as the second-best fighter in their weight class.
Alvarez, meanwhile, will have an adjustment in May 2023 against an opponent who has yet to be named. After surgery on his left wrist, Alvarez claimed to have fought Bivol in the first place injuredWhich prevents him from getting a proper training camp. How that affected the match is up for debate, but leaves some reasonable doubt in Alvarez’s mind.
Before facing Alvarez in a rematch, Bivol could face knockout artist and unified heavyweight champion Artur Petriev for the undisputed status. The victory over Bivol’s Beterbiev will make the rematch with Alvarez an even bigger event than the first.
Regardless of the outcome, Alvarez has the right to seek a rematch with Bivol. The rematch will see him play the underdog role for the first time in years and greatly cement his legacy should he win. This may not be the fight fans are clamoring for, but when he hangs up his gloves, it will be crucial for Alvarez to know if Bivol is the better fighter.
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