By Sean Jones: Dmitry Bivol’s manager Vadim Kornilov believes that Canelo Alvarez’s team will do everything they can to avoid doing the Canelo-Bivol rematch this year.
While Vadim believes Canelo, DAZN, and his promoter Eddie Hearn wants the second fight, he’s convinced that Alvarez’s team will attempt to block the rematch.
Vadim doesn’t say who on Canelo’s team will prevent the Bivol clash, but he’s likely referring to his manager/trainer Eddy Reynoso. It’s believed that Reynoso has a lot of influence over Canelo and is the one that picks & chooses his opposition.
Canelo is trapped
Considering how easily Bivol beat Canelo last year in a fight that many felt was an 11-1 victory, you can’t blame Reynoso if he tried to block the rematch from happening.
If Canelo doesn’t fight Bivol, he will be expected to defend his undisputed super middleweight championship against the ‘Mexican Monster’ David Benavidez.
Canelo can’t revisit fights against Caleb Plant, Avni Yildirim, Billy Joe Saunders, or Rocky Fielding because there’s no demand for any of those matches, and he’d be ridiculed nonstop by boxing fans if he chose to go in that direction.
So if Canelo listens to his team and swerves the Bivol rematch, he must defend his four 168-lb belts against Benavidez and David Morrell.
“I do believe that [Promoter] Eddie [Hearn], the fans, and DAZN want the rematch,” Bivol’s manager Vadim Kornilov said to RingTV about DAZN & Hearn wanting the Canelo-Bivol rematch this year.
Bivol will be avoided by Team Canelo
“There is no doubt this fight is attractive. I am sure Canelo personally wants revenge as well. At the same time, I don’t think Canelo’s team wants this fight, and everything will be done to try to avoid this rematch, and I don’t blame them,” Vadim continued.
“Canelo has said in the press that he only lost by a couple of rounds in the fight, then he said he wanted to fight Dmitry next in May…actions speak louder than words,” said Vadim.
“In the second fight with Golovkin, Eddy [Reynoso] said, ‘You need to throw more than 100 punches,’ and that’s what I did. In the fight with Bivol, we know what we need for that fight, right?” said Canelo to the media.
Canelo blames hand for the loss to Bivol
“I’m not at my best, but I’m available to train 100%. Nobody can hang with me. Yeah, and that’s why I’m so motivated because I’m able to train 100%. When I’m in that mode, NOBODY can beat me.
“Yeah, from two years, and then I fight four times in eleven months,” said Canelo when asked if it was his hand that led to his problems last year against Bivol and Gennadiy Golovkin.
“Yeah, the same,” said Canelo when asked if the 2021 version of Canelo is back now that he’s 100% healthy after hand surgery.
