What a strange time it is to be light heavyweight Dmitry Bivol.
The consensus Boxer of the Year in 2022, has yet to return in 2023, but rumblings are strong that Bivol will change that before the end of the fourth quarter of the fiscal year concludes. Still, it has been a long wait.
Bivol, who could lay claim to being the best fighter in the world, after beating Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, has been avoided by some - and seen the Russia-Ukraine conflict also hinder his ability thus far hurt his chances at a unification bout with the three-belt light heavyweight champion, Artur Beterbiev.
Bivol currently feels like the biggest risk in the sport of boxing, and many of the best modern fighters are pursuing other bouts since he is a tricky equation. The risk doesn't seem to match the reward for many fighters in a position to face Bivol at the present moment. Although to be fair, Beterbiev seems very serious about fighting Bivol, he has just had two mandatory light heavyweight fights in consecutive bouts derail attempts to make this fight happen, and now with Beterbiev being out due to an injury for his fight with Callum Smith - that seemingly further postpones a historically important fight.
It is clear though in a recent interview with FightHub TV, Bivol is tired of getting asked about Canelo.
Bivol is one of the strangest career arcs of a fighter in recent memory as outlined on ProBox TV News last week, he finds himself in the spot of a tough spoiler in the sport of boxing, but often those fighters have had a controversial loss. In recent memory fighters like Richar Abrill and Erislandy Lara filled this void, after tough close and disputed split-decision losses. Bivol is undefeated. In recent memory, it is hard to think of a fighter who holds a win over the biggest name in the sport of boxing, followed it up by defeating an undefeated former world champion, Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez, and since hasn't been able to land a main event fight date on DAZN.
Yet, that is where Bivol currently sits in the sport of boxing. It is no wonder that despite seemingly wanting to pursue titles at super middleweight and light heavyweight (the division he currently holds a world title in), he is also hinting at a possibility of fighting at cruiserweight one day.
"I don't know, maybe I will take this challenge to move up to cruiserweight," said Bivol. "If one day I fight [for a cruiserweight title], it will not be a catchweight."
Bivol who seemingly spoke with honor when saying this - almost hinted at a different level of respect for the sport, the tradition, and seemingly fairness to other cruiserweights, past and present, who competed at that weight division. Despite being a star, Bivol carries himself as someone who competes in the sport rather than someone the sport should accommodate. It is different than the larger-than-life stars we are being sold often on our Saturday evenings. The image and bravado are less interesting to Bivol than boxing achievement in the ring. The problem seems to be the world in 2023 is more about image than it is as much achievement.
It seems Bivol is looking to be the sea change.
"With my team, [we are more talking about] achievement, we achieve this, and that it will be easier to make [the next decision]," said Bivol. "[As of now], I only see moving down [to super middleweight] for [world titles right now], but we don't know what will happen tomorrow."
