Bivol and Canelo should go their separate ways

[BigZ44]

Looking ahead, I think it is best for both fighters and for boxing if they go in different directions and don't pursue a rematch. A rematch would certainly be a huge fight, no doubt about that, but I think there a rematch looks much the same. I think it's just a bad matchup for Canelo and probably drops his stock permanently. For Bivol, his win is undone if he loses a rematch and there is another monster fight waiting for him. Bivol vs the Beterbiev/Smith winner to unify 175 (especially if it's against Beterbiev) is the clear 1 vs 2 matchup at LHW at this moment. I'm not sure Bivol's stock even rises that much with a 2nd win over Canelo, because it would only prove that Canelo wasn't meant for this weight. Everyone can see this was no fluke, the better fighter won tonight, so he should strike while the iron is hot in trying to unify at 175.

If Canelo won a rematch, it would avenge the defeat, but it doesn't really change his landscape of fights. If he loses though, he's probably never again viewed as a contender at 175 or above. However, if he goes back to 168 right now, the GGG trilogy, Charlo and Benavidez are still huge, lucrative fights that can be sold as more natural matchups for Canelo at a better weight. Should he do well, he could still sell a move up in weight as he gets older and gives it another try. I don't think Canelo/GGG 3 really lost any appeal with his loss tonight, if anything it is more intriguing, because there are probably more people now that think GGG can win that fight.

So, in closing, I think boxing benefits the most from Bivol going on to fight in 175 lb unifications and Canelo returning to 168 to defend all his belts against his rivals there/

[BigZ44]

There's also one thing I forgot to mention in my original post. If Bivol were to unify and comprehensively beat and maybe even stop Beterbiev, he becomes a real superstar in boxing and the king of 175. If Canelo beats a couple guys handily at 168 and his loss to Bivol looks more competitive than Beterbiev's, the rematch becomes way more massive. Canelo could build back momentum yet still enter as the underdog coming to slay the dragon that nobody else at 175 or below could beat. Think there is just way more reward and way less risk for both guys if they do NOT run it back immediately