By Jack Tiernan: Dmitry Bivol defended Canelo Alvarez from the “haters” that have been relentlessly criticizing the Mexican star since his 12-round unanimous decision loss last Saturday night against the unbeaten WBA light heavyweight champion at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs) says Canelo is “still one of the best” despite his loss to him, and he thinks he can come back from the defeat to defeat a lot of fighters at 168 & 175.
Many people are saying that Canelo (57-2-2, 39 KOs) was “exposed” due to him fighting a guy that was levels above the seven fighters that he’d faced after his contested 12-round majority decision win over Gennadiy Golovkin in 2018.
Most would agree that Canelo looked flat-footed, sluggish & sloppy in his loss to Bivol last Saturday night. Canelo also looked very tired early on against Bivol and put too much emphasis on
We don’t know if Canelo’s lackluster performance against Bivol is a product of age or a lack of preparation. With a net worth of $140 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, it’s not a surprise that Canelo is beginning to show a decline in his ability.
When an athlete is sitting on a fortune as large as Canelo’s, it’s tough to stay motivated to put in the grueling hours as one did when they were younger.
Bivol still rates
“He still has four belts, and he is a champion in four weight classes. He’s a great fighter; he’s a legend still. Canelo’s haters are hating now, but he’s still one of the best. I respect him,” said Dmitry Bivol to the DAZN Boxing Show.
“It’s not my goal to have a rematch with Canelo. I have a goal to be undisputed [at 175]. I’ll give him a rematch, of course, if he wants. I’ll give him the opportunity,” said Bivol.
“I didn’t see what Mike [Tyson] said, to be honest, but a jab is the key for everything. If you use more jabs, it’s not bad,” said Bivol, reacting Mike Tyson’s comments that Canelo would have beaten him if he’d used his jab last Saturday night.
“It’s always better for me and for everyone,” Bivol continued. “Use the jab. It’s easy advice, but it works every time.”
Mike Tyson posted a video of him explaining what Canelo should have done to defeat Bivol last Saturday night. He believes that if Canelo had used his jab, he could have made Bivol hesitant to attack him with combinations.
“Thank you, Gennadiy,” said Bivol when told that Gennadiy Golovkin congratulated him on Twitter following his win last Saturday night over Canelo.
“I like him as a fighter and as a person because he’s humble and he achieved a lot. He gave me confidence for Eastern European people, of course, to believe in themselves.
“I supported him since he turned pro. I watch his fights and like his style.
