For a fighter who is just 5-foot-8 and made his pro debut at 140 pounds, one would think there is a limit to how high he can eventually rise in weight and still be effective. Luckily, for pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez, he doesn’t believe in limitations of any kind.
Fresh off a 2021 fighter of the year campaign in which he became the first undisputed champion in super middleweight history, Alvarez (57-1-2, 39 KOs) will move back up to 175 pounds on Saturday to challenge WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol (19-0, 11 KOs) inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (DAZN PPV, 8 p.m. ET).
Saul Canelo Alvarez and Dmitry Bivol had no problems with the scales and are ready for the fight this May 7 at the T-Mobile in Las Vegas, Nevada, where the Russian will expose the World Boxing Association semi full world title.
The first to step on the scales was the champion, without problems he scored 174.6; when the Mexican stepped on stage mariachi music played and the fans began to chant his name; without problems Alvarez gave 174.4. The division limit is 175.
Weigh-in results
Canelo Alvarez 174.4 vs. Dmitry Bivol 174.6
(WBA light heavyweight title)
Montana Love 140 vs. Gabriel Gollaz 138.6
Shakhram Giyasov 146.6 vs. Christian Gomez 146
Marc Castro 134.8 vs. Pedro Vicente 134.8
Zhilei Zhang 276.2 vs. Scott Alexander 222.6
Joselito Velazquez 112.4 vs. Jose Soto 113.8
Before Alvarez can entertain any future offers at even larger weights, the four-division champion and pound-for-pound king must first deal with the talented Bivol, a 31-year-old native of Russia who was born in Kyrgyzstan and went on to enjoy a decorated amateur career.
Bivol is often looked at as a safe fighter who relies on his footwork, defense and technique to outbox opponents from distance. But can he dig in and throw caution to the wind against Alvarez if the fight calls for it? It’s a proposition Bivol might need to consider after seeing Alvarez consistently move up in weight and incredibly carry his power up with him.
Fight card, odds
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez -550 vs. Dmitry Bivol (c) +400, WBA light heavyweight championship
Zhilei Zhang -1500 vs. Scott Alexander +800, heavyweights
Montana Love -700 vs. Gabriel Valenzuela +500, junior welterweights
Shakhram Giyasov -340 vs. Christian Gomez +270, welterweights
Marc Castro -4000 vs. Pedro Vincente +1500, lightweights
Everything you said about Bivol is correct. He’s got a great jab, he can range find and pump it with some power. It can be effective, it can be consistent, it serves a lot of functions. But he doesn’t have a lot of creativity behind it. He’s not a razzle dazzle puncher. He’s just got hardcore, well established basics. I think a guy like Canelo, you marvel at his power, you marvel at the fact that he’s never been knocked down, but the thing that gets lost in it is that he’s one of the smartest fighters that we have. He’s just a genius.