In May last year, the undisputed super middleweight champion Mexican Saul Alvarez (58-2-2, 39 KOs) tried to take away the WBA Super belt from Russian light heavyweight Dmitry Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs), but lost almost without options by decision of the judges.
Despite that failure, the Mexican is going to take advantage of the revenge clause prescribed in the contract – the second fight is tentatively scheduled for September. Promoter Eddie HearnMatchroom Boxing)
believesthat Canelo is taking a big risk: “I was shocked when[Alvarez’s coach/manager]Eddie Reynoso called me and said, ‘Canelo wants a rematch.’ Yes, he wants to fight Bivol again. In my opinion, given the result and the course of the first fight, this is a very dangerous undertaking for Alvarez.”
The Mexican underwent surgery on his hand at the end of the year, is going to return to the ring in May. Presumably he will fight his mandatory challenger British John Ryder (the fight may take place in Britain). Hearn suggests that Bivol won’t want to sit idle until September either: “We need to make Dmitry a voluntary belt defense. He’s not going to sit and wait for Canelo. Who can get a fight with Bivol? I think that fighter will be Joshua Buatsi.”
Buatsi is a British prospect, winner of the Olympic Games and the European Championship. The native of Ghana has several good scalps. First of all, these are Craig Richards and Richard Bolotnik. Hearn had previously planned to fight Bivol vs Buatsi, but the champion was forced to make a mandatory defense – he effortlessly beat Mexican Gilberto Ramirez.
What else did Hearn say about this rematch? He believes that for Bivol it is a matter of heritage. Meanwhile, the Russian was talking about motivation: “If a fighter thinks only about the fee, he is doomed.”