WBA light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol caused shockwaves through the boxing world with a career-best win over the undisputed super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez in May 2022.
Painstaking negotiations commenced almost immediately afterwards with Canelo, but they were unable to agree what weight class the rematch would take place at.
Bivol wanted to drop down to 168lbs and challenge Canelo for his belts. At the same time, the Mexican insisted that any rematch must take place at 175lbs.
Canelo accused the Russian of making negotiations difficult and being unwilling to seek a compromise. That forced Canelo to walk away from the negotiating table.
The chapter between Canelo and Bivol is now officially closed, according to Bivol, following a recent interview by Boxingscene.com.
The WBA champion has been linked to facing unified light-heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev in Saudi Arabia for an undisputed championship clash, which Turki Alalshikh, the growing influential figurehead, is targeting for the summer.
Speaking to Manouk Akopyan of Boxingscene, Bivol refuted Canelo's claims and said his sole ambition is now becoming the undisputed light-heavyweight champion.
“How can I make [negotiations] difficult?” Bivol told BoxingScene’s Akopyan. “We didn't even discuss it, to be honest. Nothing. He had his dates already and then I saw in the news that the problem was me. It was funny. I beat him once. I'm good.”
“I'm not a big light-heavyweight fighter. I can make 168, but only for belts. Canelo has the belts, and that is why I wanted to fight him. But now we have other plans, and we will follow our plans, and then we will see. Maybe in the future. I don't know when. But now I am focused on being the undisputed champion in the light-heavyweight division. That's more realistic than another fight. I hope I will fight for undisputed in my weight class because the subject with Canelo is now closed.”
The Russian concluded by suggesting that his unanimous decision victory over Canelo is why the Mexican has yet to return to light-heavyweight.
“I think at one moment, he felt that he should respect this weight class,” said Bivol.
