By Dan Ambrose: Callum Smith says Canelo Alvarez will need to rally to defeat Dmitry Bivol by a decision in their fight next week on May 7th.
The fight is viewed as a 50-50 affair by knowledgable boxing fans, and there’s a good chance Canelo will lose to Bivol.
The things that Bivol does in the ring in terms of movement, combination punching, and jabbing are things that Canelo has always had problems with during his career.
Callum knows how tough Canelo can be, losing a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision to him in December 2020.
Smith spent much of the contest with his back against the ropes, covering up like a sparring partner, not throwing punches and playing it safe.
The former WBA super-middleweight champion Smith sees the fight as a close contest due to Bivol 19-0, 11 KOs) having a lot of talent.
Canelo, 31, is moving up to battle Bivol for his WBA light heavyweight crown in the main event on DAZN PPV at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
What makes the Canelo-Bivol fight so challenging for Canelo (57-1-2, 39 KOs) is the size & mobility of Bivol.
Canelo vs. Bivol will be close fight
“It’s a good fight; Bivol is a very good fighter. He’s a lot better and more effective when you’re in there with him,” said Callum Smith to Pro Boxing Fans about next week’s match between Dmitry Bivol and Canelo Alvarez on May 7th.
“He’s not flashy, and he’s hard to beat,” Smith continued about the unbeaten WBA light heavyweight champion Bivol. “I think it’ll be a close competitive fight.
“I don’t think Bivol hits hard enough to make Canelo think twice [about pressuring]. I think Canelo possibly comes from behind, but I think Canelo wins on points,” said Smith.
Historically, Canelo has struggled against fighters with mobility, and he has a lot of problems against boxers with excellent jabs. Bivol has an excellent jab, and he throws combinations to the head & body.
Canelo’s game is built around dodging headshots, but he’s there to be hit to the body due to his stocky physique. Most of Canelo’s size is in his upper body, so there’s a lot of area for Bivol to target.
Fortunately for Canelo, he’s gotten lucky in fights where he appeared to lose on several occasions. Whether that luck can hold out against Bivol on May 7th remains to be seen.
Bivol is weak on the inside
“I think it’s going to be a good fight. Bivol has a good ring IQ and a good right hand, but I feel his weakness is on the inside,” said David Benavidez to ESNEWS.
“You can hit him a lot with body shots and with combinations. That’s what Canelo throws a lot of. So if you stay in there with him [on the inside], it’ll be a big mistake, but I feel like Canelo is going to win the fight,” said Benavidez in predicting a victory for Alvarez over Bivol.
