Home Boxing News Dmitry Bivol wants Canelo Alvarez at 168, 175 or 200 pounds

Dmitry Bivol wants Canelo Alvarez at 168, 175 or 200 pounds

Dmitry Bivol

WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol 17-0 (11) says he would welcome a fight with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez 52-1-2 (36) at either 168 or 175 pounds – or even cruiserweight.

World middleweight champion Alvarez moved up two weight classes to knockout Sergey ‘Krusher’ Kovalev 34-4-1 (29) in the 11th round to claim the WBO light heavyweight belt at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night.

“[In the] last days I have to answer the question ‘Would I fight Canelo?’ Of course, he has a title in my weight, he just won a big fight, he is one of the biggest names in boxing,” Bivol said on social media.

“I respect him. I hope he will stay at 175 or we can fight in 168.

“Do I believe I can win? Yes I do!”

The undefeated 28-year-old Russian outpointed Lenin Castillo 20-3-1 (15) from the Dominican Republic at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago last month.

It was fifth world title defence for Bivol who had previously held the WBA interim light heavyweight championship after outpointing Felix Valera in his seventh professional bout in 2016.

Alvarez has indicated he wants to retain his newly acquired light heavyweight title.

“It’s the best fight for me,” Bivol said to Fighthype. “He has a belt, and he has a name. I would like to fight him at 168 too or 175 or cruiserweight.”

On October 18 undefeated Russian Artur Beterbiev 15-0 (15) added the WBC title to his IBF championship with an impressive 10th round knockout of Oleksandr Gvozdyk at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia.