Boxing
Dmitry Bivol wants to fight Canelo Alvarez at 168 or 175 pounds
Saul "Canelo" Alvarez has plenty of suitors out there looking to land the golden ticket via a fight with the face of boxing. That group includes WBO super middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders, WBA (Super) super middleweight champion Callum Smith and Gennadiy Golovkin, the IBF middleweight champ and Alvarez's chief rival.
Add yet another name to the list. WBA (Super) light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol appeared on The Ak & Barak Show and threw his hat into the ring. What separates Bivol from the other names is that he's publicly stating he'll drop down to super middleweight or remain at light heavyweight just to land the dream fight with Canelo.
"If he wants to fight at 175, of course, I want to fight him," Bivol said on the show. "I just want to fight. I like to fight. I feel at home in the ring. I want a big fight. I want to fight against Canelo or another champion. If he wants to fight at 175 or 168, I'm ready to fight him."
Currently, Bivol (17-0, 11 KOs) weighs 190 pounds. A drop down to 168 pounds would be a significant weight cut for the 29-year-old. However, Bivol feels the high stakes of an Alvarez bout would make it worth the risk.
"Of course," Bivol said. "Not for money, (but) for my legacy. For my history. I can make this weight."
What if Alvarez bypasses the Russian and takes on Saunders, Smith, or a trilogy fight against GGG, instead? Bivol says he'll then shift his focus to locking in a unification bout at light heavyweight against unified champion Artur Beterbiev.
"I have to get a good training camp in before every fight," Bivol said. "It doesn't matter if it's a mandatory or a unified fight. I have to have enough time. Of course, I want a unification fight because I'm here to get more belts and to make my history. I'm at a good age now. I want as big of a fight as I can get."
