Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez will have some hard choices to make in the year ahead.
Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing and Eddy Reynoso—Alvarez’s manager and head trainer—are doing their best to map out a proper 2023 campaign for the four-division champ and reigning undisputed super middleweight king. A mandatory title defense is likely next in store for Guadalajara’s Alvarez, who is still considering a potential rematch with WBA light heavyweight titlist Dmitry Bivol.
“The situation is that talks with myself and Eddy Reynoso are underway right now to plan out his 2023,” Hearn told The DAZN Boxing Show host Akin ‘Ak’ Reyes. “He’s already stated publicly that he would like that like-comeback fight after the injury. He’d like to come back in May. There’s a very good chance it could be John Ryder. He's mandatory to the WBO championship. He’s the interim champion there at 168 pounds.
“Eddy Reynoso has made it very clear to me. He wants the rematch with Dmitry Bivol.”
Alvarez (58-2-2, 39KOs) suffered his first defeat in nearly nine years following a twelve-round, unanimous decision to Bivol (21-0, 11KOs) last May 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The fight took place at light heavyweight, where Alvarez previously claimed a WBO belt but was unable to handle the size and skills of the unbeaten Bivol who soundly outclassed the Mexican superstar.
The setback snapped a sixteen-fight unbeaten streak for Alvarez, who returned to super middleweight and the win column in his next fight. Alvarez outpointed longtime rival Gennadiy Golovkin (42-2-1, 37KOs) over twelve rounds to go up 2-0-1 in their trilogy following their meeting last September 17 also at T-Mobile Arena.
Bivol concluded his 2022 Men’s Fighter of the Year campaign with a landslide victory over unbeaten former WBO super middleweight titlist Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (44-1, 30KOs) last November 5 in Abu Dhabi. The 31-year-Kyrgyzstan-born, Russia-based champ is due a voluntary title defense for his next outing, while still exploring a rematch with Alvarez.
“The discussion really is, does that take place at 175 or 168,” noted Hearn. “Canelo doesn’t really want to lose his belts at 168. A lot will depend on the rulings from the government (bodies). If I know Canelo Alvarez, he’ll want that fight at 175.
“But Dmitry Bivol is about belts, he’s about legacy. He’s made it clear to us that he could make 168 pounds.”
Bivol previously claimed during the pandemic that he would be open to fighting at super middleweight, specifically for the purpose of facing Alvarez. The 2022 campaign puts his career in a new light, along with growing demand for an undisputed championship with lineal/WBC/IBF/WBO light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev (18-0, 18KOs).
The idea of a Bivol-Alvarez rematch taking place at super middleweight could provide a have-your-cake-and-eat-it scenario for all involved.
“It's not unfair for Canelo Alvarez to go to 175, he’s done it before,” pointed out Hearn. “He would not call it unfair. He lost and that’s the situation. But I feel like Canelo and Bivol at 168 would enable Bivol to become undisputed at 168 pounds. If he was able to be triumphant, he could move and fight Beterbiev for the undisputed at 175.
“If he were to lose to Canelo Avalrez, he could still fight Beterbiev for the undisputed championship at 175. When you’re talking about chasing greatness… Dmitry Bivol is all about that. He has the chance to face Canelo for the undisputed championship at 168 then face Beterbiev for the undisputed championship at 175. This is an incredible opportunity that could unfold. There is a lot of work to be done.”
Alvarez is faced with honoring his WBO mandatory title defense. England’s Ryder claimed the interim WBO title in a stoppage win over countryman Zach Parker after four rounds last November 26 in London. The WBA ruled that Alvarez will eventually have to face ‘Regular’ super middleweight titlist David Morrell in a title consolidation bout. The WBC and IBF have yet to formally rule on Alvarez’s mandatory title status.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
