By Dan Ambrose: Dmitry Bivol isn’t motivated to fight against Jaime Munguia this summer, but he’ll take it if Artur Beterbiev or Canelo Alvarez isn’t available.
Munguia (41-0, 33 KOs) would be over his head going up against Bivol, but probably not any worse than how Canelo and Gilberto Ramirez looked against him. Bivol would be criticized, but at least he would be staying busy.
A rematch with Canelo is a possibility, but Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs) wants the fight to take place at 168, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen.
Canelo wants the rematch at 175, the same weight as his fight last year against Bivol, because he doesn’t want to receive flak from fans for bringing him down to 168.
If the deal with Canelo can’t be made, Bivol would like to battle IBF/WBC/WBO light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed 175lb championship, but he’s got to take care of his WBC-ordered fight against mandatory Callum Smith.
Bivol’s manager Vadim Kornilov said he enquired about a fight with Beterbiev, but the money didn’t give justice to the match-up.
“That’s all passed behind us. He took too many other fights. You can’t have a rematch clause that’s two, three fights out,” said Vadim Kornilov to Fight Freaks Unite about Canelo Alvarez’s rematch clause no longer being valid for Dmitry Bivol fight.
“We’re going to pursue the legacy and what Dmitry wants. If Dmitry wants to go for undisputed or more titles, wherever we can get that, that’s where we’re going to go.
“We don’t know what’s going to be in September because we don’t know how this [Callum] Smith-Beterbiev thing is going to work out. I think with every quarter; I think the [Bivol vs. Beterbiev] fight is building up, and more people want to see it.
“Even in June – July, there were some conversations. The UAE was interested. There were some good grounds for the fight, but I think it’s only cooking up and getting better and better,” said Vadim.
“Of course, it’s not a big fight for me. I don’t want this fight, to be quite honest, because it’s not my weight class,” said Bivol about a match between him against Jaime Munguia.
“If I have a choice not to fight at all for an entire year or fight Munguia, of course, I will fight Munguia. I believe he’s a good fighter but in a different weight class. He fought against Rosado. Who was better?
“I respect him. He’s a good fighter, but I want people to see my fights against a light heavyweight. Two options. Beterbiev or Canelo at 168. Both fights are very good. Of course, with Canelo, it’s more money and more effort to move down in weight class.
“With Beterbiev, it’s a little easier with my weight, but it’s less money. It’s a hard fight. Some points are better, some points are worse. Which fight I can get faster, I will choose that fight,” said Bivol.
