Dmitry Bivol will collide with destructive puncher Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed crown this Saturday, looking to place himself alongside boxing’s all-time greats at 175 lbs.
The WBA world light heavyweight champion comes off a ruthless performance against Malik Zinad, halting the previously unbeaten contender to claim his first stoppage since 2018.
But still, Artur Beterbiev will enter their eagerly anticipated encounter as the bona fide knockout artist, with all of his 20 victories arriving inside the distance.
And yet Dmitry Bivol, having cultivated his reputation as a highly-skilled technician across 23 wins, believes that he possesses the formula to dispatch his fellow unbeaten countryman.
Eddie Hearn assesses whether Dmitry Bivol will face Canelo Alvarez after Artur Beterbiev showdown
Ahead of his clash for all the jewelry at 175 lbs – with Beterbiev holding the remaining three belts – Bivol’s name has, once again, been mentioned alongside super middleweight king Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
The pair locked horns back in 2022, when Bivol put on a comprehensive clinic to outpoint the Mexican star and retain his light heavyweight title.
However, a potential rematch between the two pound-for-pound operators still holds a great deal of weight, with Bivol’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, entertaining the possible matchup.
“I think that Canelo is a fighter – he definitely wants to rematch Bivol,” Hearn told Fight Hub TV. “But Eddy Reynoso [Canelo’s head coach] will make the decisions.
“Eddy knows boxing, and he knows that Canelo was well beaten [by Bivol] that night. I don’t think he was at his best, but he was well beaten.
“It’s a very, very tough fight. If Bivol wins next week and becomes undisputed at 175 [lbs], then you’re talking about Canelo rolling the dice to win the undisputed 175 lb championship in the rematch.
“That becomes a huge fight. The lure of the undisputed championship at 175 lbs – maybe that’s enough for Eddy Reynoso to say: ‘let’s roll the dice.’”
Terence Crawford and Chris Eubank Jr remain potential opponents for Canelo Alvarez
While Bivol and Beterbiev gear up for their main event slot on a sensational card in Saudi Arabia, Canelo still has plenty of time to consider what his next move will be.
The 34-year-old, of course, is never short of options, but despite two-division undisputed champion Terence Crawford calling him out, Alvarez seems somewhat uninterested in the current WBA super welterweight titlist.
Instead, Chris Eubank Jr has emerged as, perhaps, a more realistic challenger, given that the Brit was in extensive negotiations with Canelo before the 168 lb champion defended his trinkets against Edgar Berlanga.