Bivol no longer an afterthought after beating Canelo -- and lots more superfights are ahead

Dmitry Bivol arrived successful Las Vegas this May arsenic an afterthought. "The Canelo Alvarez Show" was successful municipality -- and attracting each the attention.

Bivol was the WBA airy heavyweight champion, and Alvarez, boxing's apical star, already had a woody successful spot to look Gennadiy Golovkin successful September for a 3rd clip -- erstwhile helium took attraction of concern against Bivol, a 4-1 underdog.

The outcome, it turns out, was ascendant but successful a astonishing way, arsenic Bivol proved wherefore helium had been desperately avoided by the sport's apical fighters for years. Bivol took a unanimous determination implicit Alvarez, past the pound-for-pound king, and spoiled plans for the 3rd superfight with GGG -- oregon truthful Bivol thought.

While inactive successful the ringing celebrating his triumph implicit Alvarez, Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs) told promoter Eddie Hearn, "Sorry I broke your plans with Gennadiy Golovkin."

But alternatively than workout his rematch clause and caput into a 2nd consecutive bout with Bivol, Alvarez chose to alternatively look GGG successful the trilogy bout -- and prevailed.

Bivol, meanwhile, was near to effort to fastener up combatant of the twelvemonth honors connected Saturday successful Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, erstwhile helium puts his WBA airy heavyweight rubric connected the enactment against Gilberto Ramirez (DAZN, 1:30 p.m. ET).

A matchup with "Zurdo" Ramirez, a apical airy heavyweight contender and erstwhile ace middleweight titleholder, is an intriguing combat for Bivol. But a bout against a combatant with a comparatively debased illustration successful the Middle East is simply a acold outcry from a rematch successful Las Vegas with Alvarez, the biggest prima successful the sport.

Still, Bivol should person ample accidental to parlay the triumph implicit Alvarez into much large fights befitting his caller status, particularly if helium tin grip Ramirez, a formidable opponent, successful convincing fashion.

"I consciousness much assured due to the fact that I bushed Canelo," Bivol, 31, told ESPN past month.

The life-altering triumph besides moved Bivol 1 measurement person to his dream.

"I privation to beryllium undisputed champion, you know?" helium said. "Doesn't substance against who."

Right now, the different 3 175-pound titles are held by chap Russian Artur Beterbiev, a unsafe puncher who is boxing's lone champion with a 100% knockout percentage. Like Bivol, Beterbiev is connected ESPN's pound-for-pound database (Beterbiev is No. 7; Bivol is No. 8), and Beterbiev besides is ESPN's No. 1 airy heavyweight (Bivol is No. 2).

There's nary bigger matchup for Bivol than Beterbiev, but erstwhile you adhd successful the undisputed championship, the combat reaches an wholly caller level. It would service arsenic the cleanable encore for Bivol adjacent twelvemonth -- a matchup befitting a antheral who knocked disconnected Alvarez, the apical combatant successful each of boxing.

It's hard to overstate conscionable however awesome Bivol's triumph implicit Alvarez was. Alvarez was seemingly invincible entering the matchup, and for proof, look nary further than the odds. Bivol has agelong been recognized arsenic an elite talent, but Alvarez was riding specified a blistery streak that astir observers and fans gave Bivol small chance.

Since Alvarez's nonaccomplishment to Floyd Mayweather successful 2013 arsenic a greenish 23-year-old, helium hadn't mislaid a azygous combat until helium met Bivol. And too the 2 erstwhile bouts against GGG, Alvarez hadn't adjacent mislaid galore rounds.

But against Bivol, Alvarez had nary answers whatsoever. The authoritative scorecards were incredibly generous successful the Mexican's favor, with each 3 judges scoring the combat 115-113, meaning Alvarez won 5 rounds. In reality, 1 tin reason that Alvarez won conscionable 2 oregon 3 rounds.

Bivol utilized his fantabulous jab -- 1 of the champion successful the athletics -- an uncanny consciousness of scope and, astir surprisingly, five- and six-punch combinations to not conscionable befuddle Alvarez, but punish him.

"I wanted to spell guardant to beryllium adjacent to him and punch him beryllium a small much aggressive," said Bivol. "A small much assertive [style]."

The mode Bivol was capable to present punches successful bunches portion lasting close successful beforehand of a large antiaircraft combatant was impressive. It was besides entertaining, a stark departure from Bivol's accustomed warring style.

In his 3 erstwhile fights heading into the Alvarez matchup, Bivol scored 12-round victories implicit acold lesser boxers successful Umar Salamov, Craig Richards and Gilbert Castillo Rivera. In those performances, Bivol boxed cautiously from the outside, making the bouts acold from aesthetically pleasing.

But successful the look of 1 of the astir imposing punchers successful the sport, Bivol elected to trade.

The mode successful which helium won raised the thirst for a acme gathering with Beterbiev. It's a bout that was eyed for this past outpouring successful Bivol's hometown of St. Petersburg, Russia, according to his manager, Vadim Kornilov. When the Alvarez accidental presented itself for Bivol, Beterbiev moved connected rapidly to people a second-round TKO of Joe Smith Jr., to adhd a 3rd belt.

And present that Beterbiev has recovered from country connected his close knee, he's slated to support his unified title against Anthony Yarde successful January. Assuming Beterbiev wins, arsenic expected, there's optimism a woody tin beryllium struck to pit Bivol vs. Beterbiev aboriginal successful 2023 successful 1 of the champion fights boxing tin deliver.

"Much much radical admit maine and halt me, instrumentality a photograph with me," Bivol said of his newfound fame.

Said Kornilov: "He came backmost to L.A. to sojourn for a small bit... goes to immoderate store oregon restaurant, a batch of radical from Latin America, Mexicans, each these radical are recognizing him and paying him respect, which is great. These guys, they cognize what boxing is about. They cognize what it means to bushed idiosyncratic similar Canelo.

"I deliberation radical recognize that astir apt helium is 1 of the biggest fighters successful Russia. But too that, he's got a instrumentality basal successful [South] Korea [Bivol's parent is Korean]. I cognize [South] Korea is going to beryllium showing the combat unrecorded with Ramirez. He's got a large instrumentality basal successful Kyrgyzstan [where helium was born]. He conscionable went to campy implicit there."

Bivol has a accidental to rise his increasing planetary illustration adjacent much if helium tin decision Ramirez, different Mexican, successful the aforesaid mode helium dispatched Alvarez.

Ramirez (44-0, 30 KOs) didn't prosecute often during his 168-pound rubric reign, but helium scored stoppages successful each 5 of his 175-pound rubric fights and remains undefeated.

"I can't hold to beryllium to everyone and to myself that I tin bash this," said Ramirez, 31. "Bivol is simply a pugnacious guy. He's a truly bully challenge. But I americium going to avenge the Mexican colonisation since helium bushed Canelo."

If Bivol defeats "Zurdo," ESPN's No. 3 airy heavyweight, the triumph should wrapper up combatant of the twelvemonth for Bivol successful a run wherever fewer apical boxers competed twice.

"I got a batch of experience, [but] it's not adjacent a boxing experience, it's beingness acquisition too," Bivol said of the showdown with Alvarez. "People speech atrocious things astir you. Even radical don't judge successful you. You person to determination forward, judge successful yourself, train, focus."

Now, Bivol is acceptable to currency in. And already, he's ensured 1 thing: He'll ne'er again beryllium an afterthought successful immoderate fight.