What’s next for Dmitry Bivol? Canelo II and other superfights on the horizon after dominatingRamirez
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Dmitry Bivol underlined his status as one of the finest boxers in the world when he defended his WBA light-heavyweight title with a landslide points win over Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
The undefeated 31-year-old turned in a masterful performance to claim a shock unanimous-decision win over pound-for-pound superstar Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in May.
That fact alone meant that Bivol was operating in a different stratosphere heading into his 10th defence. Further mega-fights await after he made light of his latest Mexican assignment with a dazzling display.
Here, we run through some of Bivol’s options.
WATCH: Bivol vs. Ramirez live on DAZN
Dmitry Bivol vs. Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez II
The prospect of an instant rematch was floated after Canelo was outboxed by Bivol, but the four-weight world champion opted for a trilogy showdown with Gennadiy Golovkin.
Canelo comfortably defended his undisputed super-middleweight crown against his old rival and, when Bivol spoke to The Sporting News in the build-up to the Ramirez fight, there was a sense that he and the man he beat earlier this year might now be on different paths.
“It could happen, this fight, but it doesn’t motivate me as much as it did before,” he said. “Of course, I would take this fight if I don’t have another choice. We could make this fight but it’s not my priority fight now.”
However, after the final bell on Saturday and at the post-fight news conference, Bivol expressed an interest in going down to 168lbs to face Alvarez on his own turf. Irrespective of the weight class, there can be little doubt that Bivol vs. Canelo II is one of the biggest fights to be made in boxing in 2023.
Dmitry Bivol vs. Artur Beterbiev
If Canelo II doesn’t get Bivol’s juices flowing, then this one certainly would.
“The really good target for me is the guy who has the belts,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who it is.” Canadian-based Russian Beterbiev is the man in possession right now and that is not expected to change in a hurry.
The WBC, WBO and IBF champion demolished Joe Smith Jr inside two rounds in June to move on to 18 wins and 18 KOs in his 18 professional fights.
Beterbiev and Bivol have established themselves as the top two in the 175lbs division and a showdown between the compatriots for the undisputed title would be pure box office.
Although he has shown little to no signs of decline, Beterbiev is 38 and his peak years are finite. Everyone involved should be trying to make this fight happen sooner rather than later. First up, Beterbiev is expected to face a defence against Britain’s Anthony Yarde in early 2023.
Dmitry Bivol vs. Joshua Buatsi
The UK’s light-heavyweight ranks are stacked with talent and, as Beterbiev prepares to tackle the enigmatic Yarde, Bivol might have been taking on unbeaten Rio Olympian Buatsi this week.
The 29-year-old was poised for his shot at the champion before the WBA ordered him to face mandatory challenger Ramirez.
“I saw his fights of course because I should fight him here. I was supposed to fight him. He’s a good fighter, he’s a strong guy,” Bivol said. “Good technique, he is motivated. He wants to achieve something more, he wants to achieve the belts.”
Victory over Canelo sent Bivol on the way to becoming a global star. His tie-up with promoter Matchroom means a UK fight could be on the agenda to further build the brand.
If that comes to pass, Buatsi could be the perfect dance partner after his mooted fight with Jean Pascal fell through amid contractual wranglings regarding the veteran former champion’s drug-testing obligations.
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Dmitry Bivol vs. Callum Smith
Smith is another Briton on Bivol’s radar and the Russian is a fan of the 32-year-old former unified super-middleweight champion, who added George Groves’ WBA belt to his WBC crown when he prevailed in the 2018 final of the World Boxing Super Series.
Those exploits paved the way for a showdown with Canelo, who dealt Smith the only defeat of his career so far over the course of a dominant 12-round showing.
The Liverpudlian then moved up to light-heavyweight. Inactivity has blighted him at 175lbs so far but his fleeting outings have been destructive. After knocking out Gilbert Castillo in two rounds, he prevailed in a thrilling four-round shootout against Mathieu Bauderlique on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
“He’s a good fighter. He has a good left hook,” Bivol said of Smith, whose honey punch was certainly in good order in the Bauderlique fight.
“He’s tall, he has good technique, he has good experience. He was in the Olympic squad, he was a champion, he won the World Boxing Super Series. He is good, of course.”
Smith’s most recent win made him the mandatory challenger for Beterbiev’s WBC title but, if their schedules don’t quite align, a meeting with Bivol would be fascinating.