Boxing writers Phil Rogers and John Angus MacDonald go head-to-head to debate the outcome of Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez vs Dmitry Bivol…
As the (nearly) undisputed weight king, any fight involving Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez is sure to attract attention and many believe in his formidable form. WBA Russian lightweight ‘super’ Dmitry Bivol, the Mexican will likely give one of the toughest missions of his career on Saturday night at T Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Before the fight, we asked boxing writers Phil Rogers and John Angus MacDonald to debate the outcome…
Phil Rogers: This is a war! As many have said, this is Canelo’s toughest test since his duel against Gennadiy ‘GGG’ Golovkin and I can’t wait to see how it goes.
Bivol’s recent form has been unremarkable but his size, skill set and style pose a huge danger to the Mexican. The Russian player possesses a special shot that he combines head and body to great effect. There will definitely be a point in this fight as we’ve seen in the past how Canelo can punish a sloth.
Winning skirmishes at close range, controlling the center of the ring and not being tied down, has been fundamental to Bivol’s past successes and he will need to replicate this with precision. almost perfect if he wins on Saturday.
Bivol’s footwork differs from Canelo’s recent objections; he takes smaller steps in and out and avoids danger. The way the Mexicans manage this is key; he is known as an elite close-quarters fighter but is also excellent at luring his opponents in, posing as a moving target, before delivering a counterattack to the body and head. In these times, Bivol’s tendency to drop hands in exchanges could be his undoing action, especially if Canelo’s time in the pocket is as endless as his 2021 form.
This time, nothing will happen to the Russian, which he did in previous battles. With every passing minute, he will have to undergo a stressful physical and mental exam as well as a huge step forward in class as Canelo manages to close the gap, move his body, slow the man down. his own and eventually brought him down.
I found this to be tough work for the first 6-8 innings and potentially a nightmare to score, given Canelo’s seasoned pressure, timing and composure that pushed him over the line. with a razor-thin decision. Prepare yourself for the howls of “robbers”!
John Angus MacDonald: Everything Phil said in his analysis is correct, but I’m still not particularly excited about this fight. There are three reasons for this:
1) Bivol hasn’t been in his best form lately. In the matches against Umar Salamov and Craig Richards, his performance was quite poor. Perhaps, he finds it hard to motivate himself for those bouts, but regardless, it’s not the type you want to see a fighter before the biggest fight of their career. If this is the Bivol of winning Jean Pascal and Joe Smith, I’ll give him a better chance.
2) While Bivol has produced lackluster wins, Canelo has looked better than ever. During the run at 154lbs, the Mexican had some issues with mobility. Since then, he has transformed into an elite level pressure fighter. Bivol’s strongest point is his footwork, but the Mexican is now more adept at cutting the box.
3) No matter what happens, Canelo will win. Even if Bivol makes the fight of his life, I don’t believe he can win the cards. Chances are if you’re reading this, you believe Canelo lost to at least one of the following: Erislandy Lara, Austin Trout, and Gennadiy Golovkin. Of course, according to the judges, he did not lose any matches.
Canelo is the biggest name in boxing, he’s Mexican vs Russian, in the US, on ‘Cinco De Mayo’ weekend. There’s more of a chance for Pastor Ian Paisley to become the next Pope than for Bivol to decide against Canelo. I know, they will definitely rename Bivol to Kyrgyz, Moldova or Korean, but in the US these are just synonyms for ‘Commie’. In Las Vegas, the house always wins.
