Canelo considers Bivol rematch, but Crawford also makes his case

LAS VEGAS – Canelo Alvarez rammed one of his patented left hooks into Edgar Berlanga’s chin in round 3 and the clear underdog went to the mat.

Berlanga slammed his gloves together in frustration and collected himself, then began pumping his jab from the outside, avoiding the right hand that originally earned him his name.

Berlanga may have had a moral victory as he reached the final bell. For Canelo, this is the fourth fight in a row in which he has knocked down his opponent but settled for a point victory.

Regardless, Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) didn't seem to mind that he hasn't scored a knockout since November 2021.

“What are they going to say now?” said the 34-year-old Alvarez in his post-fight interview. “I fight younger fighters. They say I fight older fighters. They always talk. … My experience, my talent, my hard work, my intelligence, everything together [makes me the best].”

What they're saying: Canelo was a -1600 favorite and after a string of wins over boxers who are definitely not on his level since his loss to Dmitry Bivol in May 2022, he needs a challenge. Fortunately, there are ways to cure the problems of boxing's top star. One of those fighters hoping to get the job is Terence Crawford, who was ringside.

Crawford compared his attempt to earn a spot in the weight class to the 1983 fight between Marvin Hagler and Robert Duran (Duran moved up from 154 pounds). “Except the smaller guy wins that fight,” Crawford told ESPN on Thursday.

Canelo's next fight could be a significant departure from his last four fights, where he was the clear favorite. It could be a return to the highest level of competition, his toughest fight since his loss to Bivol. The possible task for Alvarez's expected return on Cinco De Mayo weekend next year? A rematch against Bivol, if all goes to plan.

Bivol defeated Canelo in the light heavyweight title defense despite close scores (115-113 three times). And if Bivol can beat Artur Beterbiev in a highly anticipated coin toss for the undisputed light heavyweight title on Oct. 12 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Alvarez told ESPN on Wednesday that he would be interested in a rematch next.

Alvarez is motivated, he said, to get revenge on the only man to beat him besides Floyd Mayweather in his 66 professional fights. The Mexican icon is also excited by the idea of ​​becoming the undisputed champion in a second weight class.

“For me nothing was right in this fight [vs. Bivol]said Alvarez. Canelo had been struggling with an injury to his left wrist and underwent surgery after winning his third meeting with Gennadiy Golovkin in September 2022.

With his lead hand surgically repaired, Canelo scored knockdowns in his three subsequent fights (John Ryder, Jermell Charlo and Jaime Munguia) before knocking down Berlanga on Saturday. All four opponents had little chance of defeating Canelo, but if Canelo faces Bivol again, he will find himself in a rare underdog position.

“I don't think I should lose this fight, but it is what it is,” Alvarez said. He added that the opportunity to fight Bivol motivates him to be “100% in.” Of course, Bivol must first defeat Beterbiev, the only world boxing champion with 100% KO odds; Bivol is a -125 favorite, according to ESPN BET.

“He has the ability [beat Beterbiev]”Canelo said, adding that he is only interested in Bivol if he wins, not Beterbiev. “…Beterbiev is a strong fighter, he is also a good fighter and it will be a tough fight.”

There is another obstacle, however. Alvarez expressed interest in a Bivol rematch after his victory over Ryder in May 2023, but only in the 175-pound division (where the first encounter had taken place). Bivol insisted on a rematch in the 168-pound division for Alvarez's undisputed super middleweight title.

This could become a sticking point again, although Alvarez represents the biggest potential payday for Bivol, as Canelo does for any potential opponent.

“I need motivation,” Bivol, ESPN's No. 4 pound-for-pound boxing contender, told ESPN last summer. “And fighting him is not an easy fight. And I've beaten him before at 175. Why would I fight him again? Well, let's try for his belt, but he doesn't want that fight. [at 168] and I don't care.

“Of course, he feels deep down that he won the fight. But we are athletes. We could find excuses and reasons every time why it happened. Every time I finish my fight, I think about it, oh, I could have fought better, but I didn't because of this and that, because I had pain in my leg or I had a bad breakfast or something else.”

Alvarez has found reasons to turn down a fight with volume boxer and longtime mandatory challenger David Benavidez, who has long lobbied for a fight with Canelo. Benavidez finally moved up to 175 pounds in June and was unconvincing in a win over Oleksandr Gvozdyk, even though Benavidez was battling a torn hand ligament.

Canelo still shows no interest in meeting Benavidez.

“He fights in his weight class, 175, and he doesn’t look like he always does [looks] because it's different when you fight in his weight class,” Alvarez said.

The other attractive option for Canelo is Crawford, ESPN's second-best pound-for-pound boxer. The former undisputed welterweight champion made his 154-pound debut last month with a points victory over Ismail Madrimov, but he was far from dominant against a highly underrated boxer who reigned as junior middleweight champion.

Crawford, 37, remains in contention for a fight against Canelo in the 168-pound weight class, despite still being two weight classes (or 14 pounds) below Alvarez. While there are many doubts about Crawford's ability to compete with Canelo's size advantage, there is no doubt about Crawford's talent or the commercial viability of the event.

A fight between Canelo and Crawford is arguably the biggest in boxing among the heavyweights, and Crawford is aiming for more than just the immense prize it would bring.

“I feel like it's a legacy fight and that I can actually win it,” Crawford said. “I've always been a smaller guy. Every weight class I've ever competed in, everyone always said I was too small for this guy, too small for that guy, and I was always successful in the fights. Size doesn't win fights. So my skills pay the bills and my skills have gotten me this far.

“I think it would [who is the] The No. 1 man…in the post-Mayweather era, the king of kings.”

Crawford has never been this close to losing, even though Madrimov gave him his toughest fight. He has fought his way through the weight classes after winning his first championship title at lightweight, becoming undisputed champion at light welterweight and welterweight. And, as Crawford points out, he is bigger than Canelo and has a longer reach (½ inch in height and 3½ inches in reach).

Still, Canelo is much bigger than his stature and has the punching power to match. Ten of Canelo's last 13 fights have come in the 168-pound division – two in the 175-pound division and one in the 160-pound division. When was the last time Canelo competed in the 154-pound division? September 2016.

“If I beat him, nobody will say, 'Oh, he beat Crawford because [Canelo’s] a good fighter,” Canelo said. “He's great pound for pound too, but he's smaller. You'll start to see, 'But he's small and stuff.' But if the money is right, why not, at this point in my career.”

Canelo is referring to his legacy, which he has already secured, as he is one of the all-time greats and the long-standing face of the sport, earning over $35 million every time he steps inside the ropes, and he has nothing left to prove.

However, he is still hungry to compete and trains hard, and at some point in the near future he will surely want to challenge himself. That means he will fight Bivol or Crawford next.

“I'm already fighting the best out there and I'm still doing good things,” Canelo said. “I'm the best in the world.”