Hands clasped over their mouths, heads hung low despondently, and an indelible look of disbelief was etched onto the faces of Canelo Alvarez’s fans.
Heading into his May showdown against Dmitry Bivol, the majority of the boxing world was convinced that the Mexican star, despite moving up in weight, would be too much for Bivol on the night.
Ultimately, regardless of his fans being filled with hubris, the Russian star would go on to prove his naysayers wrong, winning a close but clear unanimous decision.
Since suffering just the second defeat of his career, Alvarez has sulked. Gennadiy Golovkin, his long-hated rival, was forced to deal with the brunt of his anger as the two tangoed in September of 2022.
Though it was more difficult than many expected, the pound-for-pound star went on to end their rivalry via unanimous decision. Bivol, in the meanwhile, kept his momentum alive by outpointing Gilberto Ramirez.
Alvarez, by and large, has grown to accept his defeat to Bivol but has vowed to make things right in their eventual rematch. First things first, however, Alvarez will likely take on WBO interim super middleweight champion, John Ryder, on Mexican soil. Should things go according to plan, the 32-year-old fully intends on meeting up with Bivol during the second half of the year.
But, according to countless prognosticators, the Mexican star would be making a grave mistake if he opted to ditch his undisputed super middleweight throne once again to face Bivol. Alvarez though, shrugs his shoulders as he plans on moving forward with their rematch.
In the eyes of many, Bivol’s tricky offensive output is simply too bemusing for Alvarez to handle. Nevertheless, during a recent discussion with ESNEWS, Alvarez revealed that in spite of his defeat, he isn’t unnerved over facing Bivol again. In fact, he’s overwhelmingly confident that things will be completely different this time around.
“I know I’m gonna beat him in the rematch.”
By Hans Themistode