Via Allan Fox: Canelo Alvarez believes he has prepared to the fullest extent and will dethrone WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol on Saturday night.
As for Canelo (57-1-2, 39 KOs), he could quickly become the undisputed champion at 175th in just two games by beating Bivol (19-0, 11 KOs) on Saturday and then beat IBF winner June 18 / WBC 175-lb champion Artur Beterbiev against WBO champion Joe Smith Jr.
As far as Canelo is known, beating Bivol was the hardest part he needed to get over for him to become the undisputed champion at the age of 175. He wasn’t too worried about beating winner Beterbiev with. Smith Jr.
Bivol will be a problem for Canelo due to his moves, combo punches, jabs and chin
During Canelo’s recent battles against Billy Joe Saunders and the Caleb Factory, his powers saved him from a predicament after he was knocked unconscious during the first half of those battles.
It will be a lot harder for Canelo to try to injure Bivol because he has a superb shot, and he won’t be directly in front of the Mexican star the way Saunders and Plant did.
Canelo-Bivol will be shown live on DAZN pay-per-view at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The cost of the battle card is $59.99 for DAZN subscribers and $79.99 for those who are not registered.
For many DAZN registered boxing fans thinking they’ll never have to buy another PPV event again, they feel betrayed and they’re angry about it.
A lot of fans are saying they’re canceling their subscription with DAZN, as they feel that this is just the beginning, with other fighters in the service potentially appearing in PPV events.
Canelo predicts victory
“I always try to fight the best and the other champions,”Canelo Alvarez told Matchroom Boxing. “If you want to make history and have a really good career, you need to fight the best.
“I will enjoy this fight because it was a dangerous fight for me, and I really enjoyed it,” Canelo said of his fight with Dmitry Bivol. “I will enjoy it as much as I can, and I will do my best. Whatever happens there, I will do my best and I will win,“Canelo said.
As long as Canelo delivers his best shot, you can’t take that away from him if he doesn’t beat Bivol. The fans just want to see Canelo put in the effort and hit the best shot.
It’s been tough for Canelo because he’s fighting a type of guy he hasn’t faced since his loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr., and he’s not as young as he was back then.
“Yes, of course, I watched the fight, and I really like a woman and shows like this and fights like this. It was amazing,” Canelo said of last Saturday’s match between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano.
“I feel really proud of that fight, and congratulations to Serrano and Taylor. They did a really good job.
“I am looking for the best. As I said before, the money is mine. I don’t need to look for money. I just want to make history. So if you want to make history, you need to fight the best and the champions.
“I love boxing, I love what I do, and challenges make me feel alive and motivated. It’s as big as when I was a kid. I still love what I do.
“I went to the gym, and I felt like I was about to hit my first professional fight. I love what I do, and that’s why I’m different because boxing is a part of my life. It’s part of my daily routine and I love it.
“Legacy is very important to me because I want to be one of the best fighters in boxing history. That’s why I choose these types of matches because I want to be one of the best for my career,” Canelo said.
Alvarez rates Bivol #1 at 175
“Dmitry Bivol is a great fighter, a solid champion at 175 years old,” Canelo said. “For me, he is the best at 175, and that makes me feel alive and motivated. For me, it’s a really good challenge, but I love it.
“In my office, I have similar photos of Eddie Hearn. I really like him, I love him, and I enjoy working with him. I appreciate what Eddie has to say, and that’s what I want people to say that I’m one of the greatest boxers in boxing history. That’s all I want.
“Be a great person. Everyone makes mistakes, but do your best and do what you do and don’t try to be something else. Try to do the best you can. Sometimes that’s enough, but you just have to be you, and we’ll see.
“My youngest daughter and youngest son, they understand what I am and what I do. But they don’t know how much,” said Canelo.
Bivol doesn’t care if he’s underrated
“Of course, I try to think and focus as usual,” Bivol told Against TV Hub about whether he feels nervous about the fight with Canelo Alvarez. “Size doesn’t matter. I’ve had a lot of taller opponents against me, and being smaller doesn’t mean not so much.
“Many people can’t get over the pressure in the ring with all the fans. That’s part of being a champion in being confident and going through that.
“Maybe we have some similarities,” Bivol said when told that Canelo says he fights in a similar way to Sergey Kovalev and Gennadiy Golovkin. “We can all punch jabs and uppercuts.
“Probably similar, but Golovkin, not so similar. Each boxer has different strength, speed, conditioning, and of course, it’s competition, not just competitive speed.
“Possibly, but I wouldn’t bet on my stab,” Bivol said, saying that Canelo has trouble with multi-stabbing fighters.
“Maybe, yes, but for me it doesn’t matter,” Bivol said when asked if it’s possible Canelo is underestimating him because he had a fight with Gennadiy Golovkin in September.
