SAN DIEGO – Dmitry Bivol will remain focused on the biggest fight of his pro career, even as the sport leaves him made to feel like a man without a country.
The unbeaten WBA light heavyweight titlist prepares for a dream assignment versus four-division and reigning undisputed super middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (57-1-2, 39KOs), who moves up in weight for their May 7 title fight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The DAZN Pay-Per-View headliner was formally announced Wednesday afternoon, roughly one week after Russian soldiers crossed the Ukraine border to begin its ongoing invasion on the orders of its president Vladimir Putin.
“I have a lot of friends in Ukraine. I have a lot of friends in Russia and my family is in Russia,” Bivol explained to BoxingScene.com and other reporters during a media scrum to otherwise discuss the fight with Alvarez. “I have a lot of friends everywhere. I wish everyone peace and only the best. It’s really sad for me. Every day, I wake up and read the news. I hope this ends soon.
“My wife and kids are there. My friends and family are waking up every day talking about what is happening in Ukraine. Everyone is in a state of nervousness. Nobody is accepting what is going on. We don’t think about the politics involved, we’re just thinking about what we are witnessing. None of us are enjoying what is happening.”
Bivol (19-0, 11KOs) was born in Kyrgyzstan but has lived in Saint Petersburg, Russia since age eleven. The recently announced Pursuit of Peace mandate issued by the WBA will allow Bivol to proceed with his title defense versus Alvarez, the lone sanctioning body to not take the step of refusing to sanction any title fights involving defending champions from Russia or Belarus.
A far more drastic approach has been taken by the WBC, IBF and WBO who—in a joint statement—announced its refusal to sanction fights of any kind involving boxers from Russia or Belarus during the ongoing war, regardless of whether said fighters are champions or contenders. None of the three are involved in Bivol-Alvarez, which—for now—allows the fight to proceed in present form.
"We’re all sensitive to the situation (in Ukraine)," noted Eddie Hearn, whose Matchroom Boxing promotes Bivol and Alvarez and takes the lead for the May 7 DAZN PPV event. "The governing body has made its position clear, as this fight is sanctioned by the WBA. I’ve known Dmitry Bivol for a long time. He’s a fine young man. We’re not avoiding the question, we understand this Is boxing. We look forward to a fantastic fight on May 7.
"We’ll follow the guidelines by the WBA and look forward to May 7. There’s no travel issues. Dmitry Bivol is in the U.S. He pretty much lives in the U.S. and trains here. They issued their statement on (Tuesday). We’re not avoiding the question but we’re adhering to the decisions made by the governing body."
The WBA's approval of the fight is conditional, however. Russian boxers “will not be allowed to enter the ring with their flag, their anthem will not be played and the country will not be named.” That leaves Bivol without a support system on a weekend in celebration of Cinco de Mayo where a swarm of Mexican and Mexican-American fans will be on hand in support of Guadalajara’s Alvarez.
It’s not an ideal situation by any stretch, but it still allows Bivol to continue with his career and with a fight he has pursued for years.
“As a kid, I always wanted to be a pro athlete,” notes Bivol, who has held the WBA title since November 2017. “That was always my goal. If athletes are not taking any type of negative reaction or steps to affect the political situation, they should not be punished because the two are not related. We are athletes, it should not be related to politics.
“Sports and politics are usually separated, historically. In my opinion it should stay that way. The two aren’t related. This is a sport, a competition between two boxers. I don’t feel what we do in the ring is related in any way to what is happening in Ukraine right now. I think—I hope that a lot of people will support that belief.”
Among the conditions of the WBA’s Pursuit of Peace is for all athletes and their respective teams affiliated with the sanctioning body to act in favor of peace—specifically, not identify as a party in favor of Russia’s actions in its declared war on Ukraine.
Bivol has unequivocally expressed his declaration for peace. Beyond that, his preference is to stick to what he knows best—which is everything that takes place in the ring.
“It’s smarter to talk about things where you are an expert,” admits Bivol. “I’m not a doctor and don’t understand everything about viruses. So, I wouldn’t be the person to ask about Covid. Here, the situation is about politics. I don’t really concentrate on politics so it’s hard for me to say much with [an informed opinion]. If we’re talking about sports, I’m willing to talk as often as you want because I am a professional athlete.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
