.jpg)
Canelo Alvarez apparently wants to make sure his potential victory over Dmitry Bivol will be free of any caveats.
According to Alvarez’s promoter Eddie Hearn, the Mexican superstar and current undisputed 168-pound champion, rebuffed the idea of meeting Russia’s Bivol at a catchweight for their scheduled 12-round, light heavyweight bout May 7 in Las Vegas for Bivol’s 175-pound WBA title.
Hearn said a weight compromise could have easily been negotiated for, given Alvarez’s leverage as perhaps the greatest drawing power in the sport, at least in North America. But neither Alvarez nor his manager and trainer Eddy Reynoso were much interested in the idea.
“You know that Canelo could have had a catchweight for this fight, real easy, real easy,” Hearn said on The DAZN Boxing Show. “Dmitry Bivol is not a massive 175. He would have accepted anything from 171 and up.
“We’ve had these conversations with Eddy Reynoso and Canelo. Canelo Alvarez and those guys, Eddy [said], ‘No catchweight. If this is going to be for the 175-pound title that’s the way it’s going to be.’”
Of course, Alvarez, 31, has had something of a reputation years past for being fastidious at the negotiating table, particularly as it relates to catchweights as well as rehydration clauses. Alvarez, in fact, made sure the latter stipulation was included in the bout contract for his light heavyweight title bout with Sergey Kovalev in 2019. It was reported at the time that Kovalev, the then WBO 175-pound titlist, could not weigh in over 185 pounds on the morning of the fight.
Hearn said he tried to get Alvarez (57-1-2, 39 KOs) to agree to one for the 31-year-old Bivol (19-0, 11 KOs), who is not exactly big for the 175-pound class and has, furthermore, maintained throughout his career that he would have no problem making 168 – no luck.
“And rehydration clause, right, doesn’t exist,” Hearn continued. “They could have put a rehydration clause in this contract so easily and they said, ‘No rehydration clause. Why?’ And I’m like, ‘You’re coming up a division. You’re not at heavyweight. This guy could come in the ring at 185 pounds’ – No. Because he doesn’t feel that’s what greats do.”
Hearn said Alvarez is to be admired for his recent pattern of giving into his opponents’ demands. Hearn referred to the time Alvarez accepted a last-minute demand from Billy Joe Saunders ahead of their 168-pound unification bout last May at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Saunders, a boxer who relies on movement, threatened to pull out of the fight the week of the fight because he wanted to fight in a ring 24-fight, as opposed to the originally agreed upon 18-foot ring. The two sides settled for a 22-foot ring, which obviously benefited Saunders.
“Honestly, I know I’m a massive Canelo fan, but you gotta respect [him],” Alvarez said. “He has the ability within these negotiations to turn the screws on anyone he wants. It’s the same with the Billy Joe Saunders situation with the ring. Remember? The ring size. No problem. No Problem.
“So he’s giving up advantages that he could have because he feels it would diminish the achievement and the accomplishments of moving [up] and fighting a real bigger man. He wants to fight the bigger man. He wants to be the underdog in the fight.
“Taking those things away – it’s very difficult to ever see him as the underdog in a fight – but taking those things away leaves so many advantages to Dmitry Bivol in this fight. That’s why you have to respect the man. This is a real fight on May 7.”