Disciplined Bivol stuns Alvarez to retain world title

Might 8 (Reuters) – Canelo Alvarez suffered a surprise defeat on Saturday as Russia’s Dmitry Bivol properly defended his Earth Boxing Association gentle heavyweight title with a acquire by unanimous determination at Las Vegas’ T-Cellular Arena.

All 3 judges scored the combat 115-113 in Bivol’s favour at the conclude of 12 rounds as the Mexican was handed only the 2nd loss of his career, 9 years after he was overwhelmed by Floyd Mayweather in November 2013.

Bivol silenced the sell-out crowd to consider his document to 20 wins from 20 fights even though Alvarez, broadly regarded as the ideal pound-for-pound fighter in the globe ahead of the bout, slips to 57-2-2.

“I am happy I proved myself today, I am the greatest in my division and I maintain this belt,” mentioned Bivol. “He’s a good winner, I respect him and all his crew.

“If you never imagine in oneself what do you do? You attain almost nothing. I think and my staff considered in me.

“I felt his power. You can see on my arm, he defeat my arm up but not my head. That is much better.”

Alvarez, the overwhelming pre-struggle favourite, was rarely in a position to obtain a way through Bivol’s defensive guard as the 31-yr-aged put on a disciplined display.

The Russian frequently utilised his jab to hold Alvarez on his heels, unloading flurries of punches to redden the scaled-down man’s face and encourage the judges to award him the battle.

Alvarez experienced earlier gained at lightheavy body weight, defeating Sergey Kovalev by knockout to gain the World Boxing Corporation variation of the title in Nov. 2019, but Bivol proved much too good to succumb.

“You have to settle for it, its boxing,” Alvarez reported of the decline. “He’s a great champion. Occasionally in boxing you acquire and lose and I am not giving excuses. I misplaced these days and he received.”

Alvarez stressed he needed the pair to struggle once more.

“Yeah, of study course I do,” he mentioned when asked about a rematch. “This doesn’t conclude like this.”

Bivol, far too, is keen to deal with off as soon as extra.

“Let us communicate about a rematch,” he stated. “I wanted this battle simply because I wanted to get the possibility and I respect this option.

“I’m prepared for a rematch, I just want to be handled as the champion now.”

Reporting by Michael Church in Hong Kong, Editing by Michael Perry

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