Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is one of boxing’s biggest stars. But during the night nothing goes according to plan for the Mexican: On his big payday he suffered a surprising and clear defeat against the Russian Dmitry Bivol.
The Mexican boxing champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is considered one of the best boxers in the world, the Mexican is unbeatable in the super middleweight division. But in the light heavyweight division Canelo experienced a bitter evening, at the end of which he suffered the second defeat of his long career. Against the Russian Dmitry Bivol he had to leave the ring beaten for the first time in almost nine years. The 31-year-old Bivol won unanimously on points and “shocked the world”, as the Spanish sports newspaper “AS” dramatically noted. At least based on the expectations of fans and observers, the Russian’s victory is one of the biggest surprises in recent boxing history.
Alvarez is one of the biggest stars in boxing, the Mexican collects huge purses and mobilizes huge crowds of fans. The fight against Bivol was supposed to be just a stopover on his triumphant march through the weight classes. The fight in Las Vegas should be the first of three fights that Canelo wants to fight in 2022 – and which should bring him an incredible $ 160 million. It’s the biggest deal struck in professional boxing these days. At the latest with the win against the American Caleb Plant in November last year, Alvarez had made himself one of the greatest idols of his sport: since then he has held all four titles.
Klitschko called for cancellation
Now everything didn’t go according to plan. Not athletically, and there was a lot of trouble surrounding the fight: Ali biographer Thomas Hauser wrote in an essay that the fight should not take place. “Canelo vs. Bivol is not just a fight,” Hauser wrote. “Because of Canelo’s prestige, a victory for Bivol would be a powerful symbol of Russian power and would be hailed as a great Russian victory.” The Ukrainian ex-world champion Wladimir Klitschko had demanded in the newspaper “The Guardian” that the fight be canceled because of the Ukraine war.
The Mexican had announced the fight a few days after the start of the Russian attack on Ukraine. With the IBF, WBO and WBC, three of the four largest boxing associations in the world imposed sanctions on Russian athletes, the WBA did not join them – and waved the fight through. Bivol, the son of a Romanian father and a Kazakh mother, lives in Russia but feels at home in Kyrgyzstan. “I’m in sports, so I don’t know anything about politics or the corona virus,” he explained.
Bivol used his size advantage to keep his opponent at a distance and land the decisive hits. “Today I proved to myself that I’m the best in my class,” said the Russian after his 20th win in his 20th fight. All three judges saw Canelo 113:115 behind in what was in the meantime a high-class fight. The close outcome on the scorecards should be due to a bonus for the Mexican, the sporting reality was clearer.
Canelo “completely humiliated”
At the latest at the beginning of the fifth lap, the Russian took command. His opponent seemed extremely tired in the last rounds, “he was completely humiliated today by a fighter who is in a completely different weight class,” wrote the Spanish “Marca”. “Today it became clear again why there are different weight classes in this beautiful sport. The Canelo fans were sure that he actually had a chance and even Alvarez got a little cocky at a certain point.” The punished Bivol mercilessly with hard hits.
Bivol controlled the fight with his long reach, Canelo, who holds all four major world titles at middleweight, never came seriously close to the world title belt a weight class up. Canelo didn’t disappoint in a good fight, but his first conclusion was surprising: “I felt like I won, I did enough, but that’s boxing, you win and you lose. I had a great fight and in the end it’s the people who win.”
Bivol “used his reach really well,” commented Canelo, who last lost to superstar Floyd Mayweather in 2013, and then disappointed but fair in his defeat. “No excuses, I lost today. He’s a great boxer… I felt his power.” Canelo rarely found his way to close range, too often he got stuck in the defense of the world champion.
But: “It’s not the end yet,” said the defeated challenger. “Of course I want the rematch,” announced Álvarez, who enters the ring under the fight name “Canelo”, after the defeat. A corresponding option should also be included in the contract between the two parties. His opponent is open to revenge. “No problem, let’s talk about it,” replied Bivol – and sent a greeting to Canelo’s powerful promoter Eddie Hearn: “Sorry that I destroyed your plans with Gennady Golovkin.”
Canelo was scheduled to face the Kazakh for the third time in September as part of his powerful three-fight contract with the incredible volume. Both boxers had previously fought two spectacular fights: one ended in a highly controversial draw that was flattering for Canelo, in the second edition the Mexican inflicted his opponent’s first defeat in his 40th professional fight.
March slowed down to heavyweight
Before the clear defeat against the heavier and significantly larger old and new light heavyweight world champion, Canelo and his promoter Hearn had even flirted with a march through to heavyweight. “I like the idea,” Canelo said when asked about a possible fight against the Ukrainian heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk. The champion of the WBA, WBO and IBF associations will defend his titles against Anthony Joshua in the summer.
Canelo’s promoter Hearn agrees his man would take the fight. “I believe ‘AJ’ will win the fight but if he doesn’t Canelo would be fighting a million per cent at 201lbs.” That’s the limit at which heavyweight boxers go. The big payday in the weight class below was disappointing for Cancelo. Not financially, but athletically.
“This is definitely a setback for Alvarez, but losing to a fighter who is above his usual weight class just proves that he is definitely at his best in his weight class,” almost appealed to the Mexican about plans outside of the tournament super middleweight to bury. He will “fight everyone, I don’t care at all,” Canelo said before the fight. Now he has to hope that things will go much better in the rematch against Bivol.