The window of opportunity is rapidly closing for Dmitry Bivol to land a stay-busy fight ahead of a lucrative rematch with the sport’s biggest star.
Talks are ongoing but looking grim to secure a targeted June 17 date for a voluntary defense of his WBA title. Bivol—who is co-promoted by Matchroom Boxing and World of Boxing—aimed to get at least one more fight, but could instead wait out the May 6 Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez-John Ryder undisputed super middleweight championship before finalizing his next move.
“It’s looking more and more that way,” Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn told BoxingScene.com. “He may wait and just negotiate the September (rematch) with Saul and just take it from there.”
Bivol (21-0, 11KOs) and his team have spent all of 2023 to this point looking to build on his 2022 Fighter of the Year campaign.
The long-reigning WBA light heavyweight titlist enjoyed a breakout performance in his 12-round, unanimous decision victory over Guadalajara’s Alvarez (58-2-2, 39KOs) last May 7 in Las Vegas. The biggest win of his career was followed by another dominant showing as he effortlessly turned away unbeaten former WBO super middleweight titlist Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez in their mandatory title fight last November 5 in Abu Dhabi.
Global accolades were bestowed upon Bivol—a Kyrgyzstan-born boxer who lives in Saint Petersburg, Russia—though it has yet to translate into a notable opportunity while waiting out a second fight with Alvarez.
A clash with lineal, WBC and IBF champ Artur Beterbiev (19-0, 19KOs) for the undisputed championship has increased in demand but remains an unrealistic next option. Matchroom, World of Boxing and Top Rank—Beterbiev’s promoter—remain in talks for a WBC mandatory title fight between Beterbiev and Liverpool’s Callum Smith, a former WBA super middleweight titlist and now the WBC number-one light heavyweight contender.
That course of action was taken after it became clear that the public desire far exceeds the current payout to crown an undisputed light heavyweight king.
Earlier talks never materialized of a discussed title defense versus 2016 Olympic Bronze medalist Joshua Buatsi, who has since parted ways with Matchroom and will instead headline a May 6 Boxxer show in Birmingham, England. Similarly, a discussed option to face Tijuana’s Jaime Munguia (41-0, 33KOs) or any other relevant contender did not provide the kind of progress to suggest Bivol will be back in the ring by June.
There were previous concerns that Alvarez’s team wasn’t necessarily keen on a second fight with Bivol. Alvarez himself has repeatedly stated that he wants the rematch and will return to light heavyweight rather than have Bivol drop down to super middleweight.
Alvarez still has to turn away England’s Ryder, the interim WBO super middleweight titlist who will travel to Alvarez’s home state of Jalisco for their title consolidation bout. From there, the marching orders have been clear.
“My industrious from Eddy Reynoso (Alvarez’s longtime trainer and manager) and Saul are to make the Bivol fight,” noted Hearn. “So, fingers crossed.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
