Dmitry Bivol is now a superstar

Dmitry Bivol’s (20-0, 11KOs) victory over Canelo Alvarez (57-2-2, 39 KOs) on May 7 caused Bivol’s stock to rise exponentially. He is now the second man to beat Canelo, the other being Floyd “Money” Mayweather. Before the fight, Canelo hadn’t lost in 16 consecutive bouts. So many overlooked Bivol prior to him facing Canelo, but now Bivol has captivated the boxing world after an impressive victory over a future hall-of-famer. Although all three scorecards read 115-113 for Canelo, Bivol certainly won more than 7 rounds. Many believe Bivol won 9 of the 12 rounds.

Bivol’s range and activity were too much for Canelo to handle. He employed a brilliant strategy, staying on the outside and utilizing his longer reach for almost the entire fight. Canelo tried to get Bivol to exchange more on the inside, but the Russian did not budge. Bivol also made Canelo fight at a faster pace, and Canelo’s power shots were unable to slow down the tempo. Overall, Bivol’s size, punch output, ring intelligence, and discipline proved too much for Canelo, who appeared fatigued at the end of the fight. It’s safe to say that Bivol was overlooked, but he won’t be any more. He is now touted as a pound-for-pound level elite fighter.

Canelo possesses a rematch clause, but will he exercise it? Directly after the fight, Canelo declared that he would like a rematch. But that was when emotions were high. After losing for the first time in 16 fights, a fighter like Canelo immediately wants to regain his pride. He felt the dread of losing a big fight and wanted revenge. However, Canelo may decide differently when he talks with his team about plans for the next match. In fact, at the post-fight press conference, Canelo did not definitively state whether he would face Gennady Golovkin or Dmitry Bivol next.

Bivol may just be too difficult of an opponent for Canelo to beat. Canelo’s power typically limits opponents’ offensive output, yet Bivol kept a steady pace throughout the fight. It’s an amazing accomplishment within itself that a man of Canelo’s size could compete so well against Bivol. Right now, it seems like a third bout against Gennady Golovkin is more likely for Canelo. A GGG trilogy fight is more winnable and likely just as lucrative as a rematch versus Bivol.

The two notable potential options for Bivol are a rematch versus Canelo or an undisputed light heavyweight title fight against Artur Beterbiev. An undisputed title bout at light heavyweight is possible if Beterbiev beats veteran Joe Smith in his next fight. Beating Canelo in a rematch will certainly increase Bivol’s popularity, as Canelo fights attract the biggest audiences in the sport. On the other hand, defeating Artur Beterbiev makes Bivol a top 5 pound-for-pound level fighter and earns him respect as boxing’s best light heavyweight. Despite the Canelo win, some will still argue that Artur Beterviev is capable of defeating Bivol.

Beterbiev is a monster puncher and has knocked out 100% of his opponents in his 17-fight career. Like Bivol, Beterbiev has good technique and is not a reckless fighter. Bivol vs. Beterbiev will show whether Bivol’s superior athleticism and boxing ability will be too much for the powerful Beterviev. Bivol is considered to be a more versatile and polished fighter than Beterbiev. Regardless of what happens, it would be an entertaining fight with a lot of action.

Currently, Bivol is in the driver’s seat. He is now a big-name fighter with leverage. His win against Canelo is a major accomplishment and might even make him a hall-of-famer. Unless he drastically moves up in weight, he will be the favorite in any fight. The future is bright for Dmitry Bivol, as he has reached boxing superstardom.