Tag: Alvarez vs Bivol

Twitter reacts to Dmitry Bivol’s shocking upset of Canelo Alvarez

Twitter reacted to Dmitry Bivol’s shocking upset of Canelo Alvarez.

When a seemingly unbeatable fighter finally loses, it’s difficult to comprehend.

That’s why those boxing people on social media expressed shock after Dmitry Bivol defeated Canelo Alvarez by a unanimous decision Saturday in Las Vegas.

Here’s a sampling of tweets.

 

Dmitry Bivol stuns Canelo Alvarez, boxing world by winning unanimous decision

Dmitry Bivol stunned Canelo Alvarez and the boxing world by winning unanimous decision Saturday in Las Vegas.

Not only was Dmitry Bivol bigger than Canelo Alvarez. Turned out he was also better.

The WBA light heavyweight titleholder did on Saturday in Las Vegas what only Floyd Mayweather had been able to do, defeat the consensus pound-for-pound king. And while the scoring was close, most observers will agree that Bivol left little doubt about his superiority in the fight.

All three judges had the same score, 115-113, seven rounds to five. Boxing Junkie had it 117-111 for Bivol, nine rounds to three.

We’ll see whether Bivol can do it again in a rematch, which almost certainly will happen. However, on this night, he couldn’t have given a much better performance.

“I proved myself today,” Bivol said. “I’m the best in my [division]. I keep my belt.”

Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs) seemed to have a simple game plan: jab to control distance, fire off combinations to keep Alvarez at bay and win rounds, and employ a tight defense.

That formula left Alvarez frustrated and tired by the middle of the fight, when it became clear that Bivol wasn’t destined to be just another victim on Alvarez’s remarkable run of dominance in recent years.

The Mexican star seemed to enter the ring with the wrong game plan, which was to throw hard, single punches in an apparent effort to slow down Bivol or stop him.

He landed enough punches to be competitive but he didn’t go to the body as much as expected, which might’ve been a mistake. And, as Bivol pointed out, perhaps throwing so many power shots wore Alvarez down.

The fact that not many of Alvarez’s punches landed cleanly probably wore him down mentally.

“I felt his power,” Bivol said. “I can feel it on my arm. He beat my arm up but not my head. It’s better. He has good speed, good power. Maybe his mistake was throwing only hard punches. After all the punches, he [was] tired.

“… I was feeling great, like I never feel. I enjoyed this fight.”

Alvarez’s first setback in nine years raises questions.

Was the decision to move up from 168 to face a top 175-pounder in his prime a mistake? Was his game plan indeed flawed? Was it an off night? Or was it simply a matter of Bivol being a better boxer?

Alvarez thought he did enough to win the fight but he gave no excuses.

“You have to accept it,” he said. “It’s boxing. He’s a great champion. Sometimes in boxing you win, sometimes you lose. No excuses. I lost today and he won.”

He went on: “He’s a really good fighter. He comes in, goes out. I also felt his power. … I felt like maybe I did enough to win the fight but that’s boxing.”

Alvarez was asked afterward whether he would demand a rematch, which is guaranteed in the contract they signed. He didn’t hesitate to answer in the affirmative.

“Yes, this doesn’t end like this,” he said.

Bivol was asked the same question. And he, too, will happily do it a second time. Only he wants to be treated a little differently.

“No problem,” he said when asked about the rematch. “Let’s talk about a rematch. I wanted this fight because I wanted to get the opportunity [to face a superstar]. I didn’t fight for anything else but to get the fight. I want a rematch. I just want to make sure I can be treated like a champion now.

“… My fans believed in me. And it wasn’t a misjudgment.”

Dmitry Bivol stuns Canelo Alvarez, boxing world by winning unanimous decision

Dmitry Bivol stunned Canelo Alvarez and the boxing world by winning unanimous decision Saturday in Las Vegas.

Not only was Dmitry Bivol bigger than Canelo Alvarez. Turned out he was also better.

The WBA light heavyweight titleholder did on Saturday in Las Vegas what only Floyd Mayweather had been able to do, defeat the consensus pound-for-pound king. And while the scoring was close, most observers will agree that Bivol left little doubt about his superiority in the fight.

All three judges had the same score, 115-113, seven rounds to five. Boxing Junkie had it 117-111 for Bivol, nine rounds to three.

We’ll see whether Bivol can do it again in a rematch, which almost certainly will happen. However, on this night, he couldn’t have given a much better performance.

“I proved myself today,” Bivol said. “I’m the best in my [division]. I keep my belt.”

Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs) seemed to have a simple game plan: jab to control distance, fire off combinations to keep Alvarez at bay and win rounds, and employ a tight defense.

That formula left Alvarez frustrated and tired by the middle of the fight, when it became clear that Bivol wasn’t destined to be just another victim on Alvarez’s remarkable run of dominance in recent years.

The Mexican star seemed to enter the ring with the wrong game plan, which was to throw hard, single punches in an apparent effort to slow down Bivol or stop him.

He landed enough punches to be competitive but he didn’t go to the body as much as expected, which might’ve been a mistake. And, as Bivol pointed out, perhaps throwing so many power shots wore Alvarez down.

The fact that not many of Alvarez’s punches landed cleanly probably wore him down mentally.

“I felt his power,” Bivol said. “I can feel it on my arm. He beat my arm up but not my head. It’s better. He has good speed, good power. Maybe his mistake was throwing only hard punches. After all the punches, he [was] tired.

“… I was feeling great, like I never feel. I enjoyed this fight.”

Alvarez’s first setback in nine years raises questions.

Was the decision to move up from 168 to face a top 175-pounder in his prime a mistake? Was his game plan indeed flawed? Was it an off night? Or was it simply a matter of Bivol being a better boxer?

Alvarez thought he did enough to win the fight but he gave no excuses.

“You have to accept it,” he said. “It’s boxing. He’s a great champion. Sometimes in boxing you win, sometimes you lose. No excuses. I lost today and he won.”

He went on: “He’s a really good fighter. He comes in, goes out. I also felt his power. … I felt like maybe I did enough to win the fight but that’s boxing.”

Alvarez was asked afterward whether he would demand a rematch, which is guaranteed in the contract they signed. He didn’t hesitate to answer in the affirmative.

“Yes, this doesn’t end like this,” he said.

Bivol was asked the same question. And he, too, will happily do it a second time. Only he wants to be treated a little differently.

“No problem,” he said when asked about the rematch. “Let’s talk about a rematch. I wanted this fight because I wanted to get the opportunity [to face a superstar]. I didn’t fight for anything else but to get the fight. I want a rematch. I just want to make sure I can be treated like a champion now.

“… My fans believed in me. And it wasn’t a misjudgment.”

Photos: Canelo Alvarez vs. Dmitry Bivol weigh-in

Photos: Canelo Alvarez vs. Dmitry Bivol weigh-in.

Canelo Alvarez and light heavyweight titleholder Dmitry Bivol on Friday made weight for their pay-per-view fight Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Alvarez weighed 174.4 pounds, .6 below the division limit. Bivol came in at 174.6.

Here are images from the weigh-in. Photos by Getty Images.

Canelo Alvarez, Dmitry Bivol make weight in front of pro-Canelo crowd

Canelo Alvarez and Dmitry Bivol on Friday made weight for their light heavyweight title fight Saturday in Las Vegas.

Canelo Alvarez’s fight against Dmitry Bivol on Saturday in Las Vegas will akin to a home game for him.

That was obvious at the weigh-in Friday afternoon in front of T-Mobile Arena, the venue for the fight. A few thousand fans — seemingly all of them rooting for the Mexican star — gathered as mariachi music blared in the background on Cinco de Mayo weekend.

Alvarez was touched by the support.

“I feel proud, I feel proud to represent my country this weekend. I feel very, very excited,” he said after he stepped off the scales.

The business at hand came off without any hitches, as both fighters weighed in under the 175-pound limit. Bivol, the WBA champion, came in at 174.6, Alvarez 174.4.

The weigh-in was uneventful aside from the large, enthusiastic crowd.

The fighters engaged in the obligatory stare down, with neither of them blinking. They then warmly wished each other well and stepped away.

The crowd wasn’t as hospitable to Bivol, as they made their allegiance clear when the fighters were interviewed afterward.

The fans chanted, “Mexico! Mexico! Mexico,” as Bivol was being interviewed. He pumped his fist to the rhythm, smiled and said, “The people motivate me. … All the time in boxing I’ve won many times. Why shouldn’t I win this time?”

Alvarez’s good sportsmanship extended to his interview but he didn’t hesitate to make a prediction.

“I like this kind of challenge,” he said. “Expect everything from me, like always. I’m going to try my best, do my best in the ring. And, of course, we’re going to win.”

Bivol (19-0, 11 KOs) will be making his fourth defense since he was elevated to “super” champion in October 2019. He has fought as a light heavyweight his entire career.

The Russian last fought in December, when he easily outpointed Umar Salamov in Ekaterinburg.

Alvarez (57-1-2, 39 KOs) will be fighting at 175 for a second time. He stopped Sergey Kovalev in the 11th round to win the WBO title in November 2019. He later vacated the title and moved back down in weight.

He’s coming off an 11th-round stoppage of Caleb Plant in November, which gave him all four of the major 168-pound titles.

[lawrence-related id=29989,29983,29978,29972,29960,29947]

Canelo Alvarez, Dmitry Bivol make weight in front of pro-Canelo crowd

Canelo Alvarez and Dmitry Bivol on Friday made weight for their light heavyweight title fight Saturday in Las Vegas.

Canelo Alvarez’s fight against Dmitry Bivol on Saturday in Las Vegas will akin to a home game for him.

That was obvious at the weigh-in Friday afternoon in front of T-Mobile Arena, the venue for the fight. A few thousand fans — seemingly all of them rooting for the Mexican star — gathered as mariachi music blared in the background on Cinco de Mayo weekend.

Alvarez was touched by the support.

“I feel proud, I feel proud to represent my country this weekend. I feel very, very excited,” he said after he stepped off the scales.

The business at hand came off without any hitches, as both fighters weighed in under the 175-pound limit. Bivol, the WBA champion, came in at 174.6, Alvarez 174.4.

The weigh-in was uneventful aside from the large, enthusiastic crowd.

The fighters engaged in the obligatory stare down, with neither of them blinking. They then warmly wished each other well and stepped away.

The crowd wasn’t as hospitable to Bivol, as they made their allegiance clear when the fighters were interviewed afterward.

The fans chanted, “Mexico! Mexico! Mexico,” as Bivol was being interviewed. He pumped his fist to the rhythm, smiled and said, “The people motivate me. … All the time in boxing I’ve won many times. Why shouldn’t I win this time?”

Alvarez’s good sportsmanship extended to his interview but he didn’t hesitate to make a prediction.

“I like this kind of challenge,” he said. “Expect everything from me, like always. I’m going to try my best, do my best in the ring. And, of course, we’re going to win.”

Bivol (19-0, 11 KOs) will be making his fourth defense since he was elevated to “super” champion in October 2019. He has fought as a light heavyweight his entire career.

The Russian last fought in December, when he easily outpointed Umar Salamov in Ekaterinburg.

Alvarez (57-1-2, 39 KOs) will be fighting at 175 for a second time. He stopped Sergey Kovalev in the 11th round to win the WBO title in November 2019. He later vacated the title and moved back down in weight.

He’s coming off an 11th-round stoppage of Caleb Plant in November, which gave him all four of the major 168-pound titles.

[lawrence-related id=29989,29983,29978,29972,29960,29947]

Photos: Canelo Alvarez, Dmitry Bivol face off at final news conference

Photos: Canelo Alvarez, Dmitry Bivol on Thursday faced off at the final news conference before their pay-per-view fight Saturday.

Canelo Alvarez faces light heavyweight titleholder Dmitry Bivol on pay-per-view Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

On Thursday they took part in the final news conference before fight night.

Here are images from the news conference. Photos by Ethan Miller of Getty Images and Ed Mulholland of Matchroom Boxing.

Canelo Alvarez’s mission against Dmitry Bivol: add to his legacy

Canelo Alvarez’s mission against Dmitry Bivol on Saturday in Las Vegas: add to his legacy.

Canelo Alvarez has adopted a mantra in the past several years. And on Thursday he repeated it again at the final news conference before he challenges 175-pound titleholder Dmitry Bivol on pay-per-view Saturday from Las Vegas:

“I just want to make history.”

The undisputed super middleweight champ has already made a lot of that, defeating one elite opponent after another, collecting titles in four divisions and rising to No. 1 on most pound-for-pound lists (No. 2 on Boxing Junkie’s).

Alvarez has taken major titles from five of his last seven opponents. A victory over the unbeaten, naturally bigger WBA champ on Saturday would be more “history.”

“I like that challenge,” Alvarez said. “I just want to make history. This is the kind of challenge that puts me in the books of the history of boxing. I feel alive when I have this kind of challenge.

“I respect Dmitry Bivol [but] it’s my time. I feel I’m in my prime. I enjoy this kind of moment.”

Alvarez (57-1-2, 39 KOs) and longtime trainer Eddy Reynoso know that the challenge could be difficult.

The Mexican star faced an elite 175-pounder in November 2019, when he stopped Sergey Kovalev in the 11th round of what had been a close fight to take Kovalev’s WBO title (which he later vacated).

Kovalev was a good experienced, boxer with more punching power than Bivol but he was believed by many to be in decline at 36 years old. Both Alvarez and Bivol are 31 and in their primes.

Bivol, who had an extensive amateur career in Russia, is an excellent boxer with particularly good footwork and defensive skills. He’s slick.

“Obviously it’s a really difficult, complicated fight against a really good champion,” Reynoso said through a translator. “He’s a boxer who has faced great champions over the years and has a great amateur pedigree, as well.

“We’re looking to write history. That’s why we went up to 175. But he’s a really good boxer. It’ll be a difficult fight Saturday.”

Alvarez also acknowledged Bivol’s ability but he’s pretty sure who will have his hand raised.

“I’m ready,” he said. “I believe in my skills. And I’m very confident with how strong I am.”

Meanwhile, Bivol (19-0, 11 KOs) didn’t get to the pinnacle of his division by doubting himself.

The native of Kyrgyzstan demonstrated his mettle by defeating in succession Sullivan Barrera, Isaac Chilemba, Jean Pascal and Joe Smith Jr. in 2018 and 2019, one of the more impressive runs in recent history.

Of course, Alvarez is a significant step up from all of the above. Bivol recognizes and embraces that.

Can he win? As he put it, “Why not?”

“If you don’t believe in what you do, you never win,” he said. “I believe in my ring career. Why not? I’ve been boxing since I can remember, since I was 5 years old. At 16 I was a two-time world champion amateur. It means a lot.

“Now I’m champion. Why not?”

[lawrence-related id=29983,29978,29972,29960,29947]

Canelo Alvarez’s mission against Dmitry Bivol: add to his legacy

Canelo Alvarez’s mission against Dmitry Bivol on Saturday in Las Vegas: add to his legacy.

Canelo Alvarez has adopted a mantra in the past several years. And on Thursday he repeated it again at the final news conference before he challenges 175-pound titleholder Dmitry Bivol on pay-per-view Saturday from Las Vegas:

“I just want to make history.”

The undisputed super middleweight champ has already made a lot of that, defeating one elite opponent after another, collecting titles in four divisions and rising to No. 1 on most pound-for-pound lists (No. 2 on Boxing Junkie’s).

Alvarez has taken major titles from five of his last seven opponents. A victory over the unbeaten, naturally bigger WBA champ on Saturday would be more “history.”

“I like that challenge,” Alvarez said. “I just want to make history. This is the kind of challenge that puts me in the books of the history of boxing. I feel alive when I have this kind of challenge.

“I respect Dmitry Bivol [but] it’s my time. I feel I’m in my prime. I enjoy this kind of moment.”

Alvarez (57-1-2, 39 KOs) and longtime trainer Eddy Reynoso know that the challenge could be difficult.

The Mexican star faced an elite 175-pounder in November 2019, when he stopped Sergey Kovalev in the 11th round of what had been a close fight to take Kovalev’s WBO title (which he later vacated).

Kovalev was a good experienced, boxer with more punching power than Bivol but he was believed by many to be in decline at 36 years old. Both Alvarez and Bivol are 31 and in their primes.

Bivol, who had an extensive amateur career in Russia, is an excellent boxer with particularly good footwork and defensive skills. He’s slick.

“Obviously it’s a really difficult, complicated fight against a really good champion,” Reynoso said through a translator. “He’s a boxer who has faced great champions over the years and has a great amateur pedigree, as well.

“We’re looking to write history. That’s why we went up to 175. But he’s a really good boxer. It’ll be a difficult fight Saturday.”

Alvarez also acknowledged Bivol’s ability but he’s pretty sure who will have his hand raised.

“I’m ready,” he said. “I believe in my skills. And I’m very confident with how strong I am.”

Meanwhile, Bivol (19-0, 11 KOs) didn’t get to the pinnacle of his division by doubting himself.

The native of Kyrgyzstan demonstrated his mettle by defeating in succession Sullivan Barrera, Isaac Chilemba, Jean Pascal and Joe Smith Jr. in 2018 and 2019, one of the more impressive runs in recent history.

Of course, Alvarez is a significant step up from all of the above. Bivol recognizes and embraces that.

Can he win? As he put it, “Why not?”

“If you don’t believe in what you do, you never win,” he said. “I believe in my ring career. Why not? I’ve been boxing since I can remember, since I was 5 years old. At 16 I was a two-time world champion amateur. It means a lot.

“Now I’m champion. Why not?”

[lawrence-related id=29983,29978,29972,29960,29947]

Canelo Alvarez vs. Dmitry Bivol: live round-by-round analysis, results, full coverage

Canelo Alvarez vs. Dmitry Bivol: live round-by-round analysis, results, full coverage.

Canelo Alvarez is scheduled to challenge light heavyweight titleholder Dmitry Bivol on pay-per-view Saturday from Las Vegas.

Boxing Junkie will post live round-by-round analysis and then the final result. Simply come back to this post after each round and at the end of the fight.

And, finally, full coverage – a fight story, photo gallery and more analysis – will follow on separate posts the night of the fight and the following day.

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