Three weeks have passed since the triumphant victory of the Russian WBA (Super) light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol over the best boxer of the time, all weight classes combined, the highest paid pro on the planet, the undisputed world champion Mexican super middleweight Saul Alvarez. So only the Russian belt was at stake, and the option of immediate revenge was spelled out in the contract.
Alvarez, after this devastating fiasco, is in no hurry to officially exercise this right, declaring his desire for revenge only in the media. Moreover, his third fight with the Kazakh Gennady Golovkin is already officially scheduled for September 17th.
In the first major interview since his historic triumph, Bivol assessed the evolution of the confrontation with Alvarez, spoke about other potential opponents and explained how his life changed after the most important victory of his career.
“I won against the challenger, so I’m resting”
– Dmitry, do you agree that your victory was the strongest in the history of Russian boxing?
– I haven’t thought of it yet, but probably yes – one of the loudest in Russian boxing.
We spoke right after the fight. And then all the emotions, the euphoria, were understandable. And now you realize the magnitude of what happened?
– Before the fight, I strongly prepared for the fact that I would be opposed by an ordinary person in an ordinary duel. For me, it was just a defense. I didn’t need to think he’s a great champion. And I believed in it so much that I won the fight against the contender for my title. So I rest. Yes, I notice that a lot of subscribers have appeared, I am congratulated by people who have never watched boxing before. I feel this attention.
– Are you aware that you have become a world boxing star?
“I don’t feel like I became a boxing star or got a big win. I believed I had to beat him. There’s no other way, and for me this what happened was what had to happen.
– What was the most unexpected congratulation for you?
– All congratulations were nice. One of the first to congratulate me through the manager was Gennady Golovkin. Basta called. The stars also congratulated, but I can’t say anyone was particularly surprised.
— Do you have any proposals to monetize this popularity? Maybe they invite you to appear in advertisements?
“There was no such thing. Everything is calm. Therefore, I probably don’t feel like I did anything special (laughing).
Alvarez has now picked Golovkin as his next fight. Does that mean you somehow psychologically broke Canelo?
– I look at it in the following way. Canelo had a good offer for two fights in total – with me and with Golovkin. And he wants to fulfill his contract by getting what he needs to get.
Will you wait for the end of the trilogy or will you fight before the fight against Canelo?
“I don’t know what it should look like next. I want to evolve and I want title fights. How realistic that is, I don’t know. But I know for sure that I should give a rematch if Canelo wants it. He has a certain amount of time to activate the revenge option.
– Alvarez’s training partner, Ukrainian Oleksandr Gvozdyk, immediately after your confrontation said that the Mexican won.
– We have to count in favor of hitting. If we both miss, then the victory is given to whoever advanced. For activity. I felt in the fight that I was hitting Canelo more often.
Can you tell me how many shots you missed?
“A few uppercuts, three at most. One was really good. There was a knock on the right side of the glove, and there was also a good knock on the body in the liver area. But it’s such a blow … They sting you in the liver area, and it hurts. And it happens that you are hit hard, and you have regrouped. And I did not feel this painful blow, as a result, I received a strong blow to the body.
– Many people are of the opinion that Alvarez should not go to the second fight with you. The result will be the same, but the impact on reputation will be even stronger. What would you do if you were Mexican?
– There is always an opinion from the outside. There were also opinions that I shouldn’t have won that fight. But it’s up to us to decide. The nature of a champion is such that you always want to take a second chance. Even if you didn’t succeed the first time. Here I have such a desire – to hunt revenge.
But you didn’t lose.
– I remember being an amateur when I lost. I found a thousand reasons why I lost. After these defeats, I always said to myself: “If it weren’t for these reasons, I would have won.” There are always excuses and reasons. I think Alvarez will find reasons for himself that will help him decide he wants a rematch.
“After the fight with Canelo, a lot of people wanted to fight me”
– Tell us about the role of promoter Eddie Hearn in organizing this fight?
“His role is huge. He agreed on Bivol – Canelo and Canelo – Golovkin fights. I am very grateful to him. He wanted to organize this fight for a long time and said: “Bait your time. Alvarez will become absolute, and where should he go – he will want to get up. You are with us and he wants to fight champions.
What do you think of Hearn’s idea of staging your fight with Joshua Buatsi in the UK?
– It does not seem as tempting as the duel with Buatsi in the United States. It would be more interesting for me to fight with him in the United States.
– Doesn’t it seem that Hearn wants to promote his boxers at the expense of you? The official calls out the names of Briton Callum Smith, Buatsi…
– Of course he wants to. Why not?
– Do you need it?
— It’s a good option, but it’s not what I dream of. I want to move forward. I understand the desire of these guys to box with me. It’s the same as boxing with other champions. We all want to move forward.
– And what kind of fight does Dmitry Bivol dream of?
– I dream of a fight for the title of absolute world champion.
– And there are two options. First of all, you can go down from second middleweight to absolute champion Alvarez. Secondly, you can wait for the result of the fight between the Russian WBC and IBF light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev and the American WBO belt holder Joe Smith (the fight will take place on June 18 in New York).
– Either this way or this waylaughing). We have to wait for Canelo’s decision on his rematch option. I always try to free myself from such reasoning: but if he fights with this, then with that … You should not worry about it. At least for me.
– You defeated Smith in March 2019. Can you advise Beterbiev on his personal experience?
– I will definitely not advise how to fight. Arthur has long been a mature boxer. He knows how to box Joe Smith without any advice. Moreover, he has a team of coaches. Advice is the cheapest thing one boxer can give to another. You can just watch our fight with Smith and find something uniquely yours. Even I can’t box him in the exact same way. It will still be different.
“But Smith really wants a rematch with you.
– After the fight with Canelo, many people want to have a rematch with me, they want to fight with me. Its good. We did it so that everyone wanted to box with me.
– Another boxer on your list of potential rivals is the undefeated Mexican Gilberto Ramirez.
– Yes, and him. I would have loved to box Gilberto Ramirez a long time ago. But my desire is to do something nice for me. These are title fights. I showed myself to a large number of people, I enjoyed it. And now I want to go for championship belts.
– By the way, aren’t you flattered that the boxers who lost against you then give good moments in their career? For example, the same Joe Smith or Jean Pascal.
– When I fought with them, they said that they were far from in top form, but downed pilots (laughing). And in the end, it turns out that it’s the opposite. I haven’t really thought about it, whether it flatters me or not. It’s just a fact.
Source : MatchTV
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
