Canelo Alvarez to fight in May, likely at T-Mobile Arena
Canelo Alvarez announced Friday that he will return to the ring May 7 to fight WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol.
A location and venue have not been finalized, but T-Mobile Arena is the front-runner to land the fight, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
Alvarez (57-1-2, 39 knockouts) last fought in November, defeating Caleb Plant by stoppage in the 11th round to claim the undisputed super middleweight championship at the MGM Grand Garden. The Bivol bout is part of a two-fight contract worth more than $85 million that Alvarez signed with Matchroom Boxing as a promotional free agent, according to ESPN.
The deal, according to ESPN, includes a September fight against rival Gennady Golovkin at super middleweight. Golovkin is to fight Ryota Murada in the spring, and a victory would essentially formalize the trilogy fight against Alvarez, considered boxing’s best pound-for-pound fighter.
“I am very happy with this fight against Dmitry Bivol,” Alvarez, 31, said in a release. “It is another great challenge for me and my career — especially as I go up in weight and face an exceptional light heavyweight champion like Bivol.”
Bivol (19-0, 11 KOs) represents another formidable foe for Alvarez, who will fight for the second time at 175 pounds. The 31-year-old Russian is taller, naturally bigger and possesses a formidable set of skills that includes a sharp, signature jab. He beat Felix Valera in May 2016 to claim the WBA’s “interim” light heavyweight championship and was elevated to champion in 2017.
His resume includes eight successful title defenses, most recently a December unanimous decision over Umar Salamov in his native Russia. The fight will be Bivol’s first in Las Vegas.
Alvarez, a four-weight world champion, debuted at light heavyweight in November 2019, stopping Sergey Kovalev in the 11th round of their WBO title fight at the MGM Grand Garden.
The Alvarez-Bivol fight will air on DAZN pay-per-view, with existing subscribers paying $59.99 and new subscribers $79.99.
Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.
