Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez has caught some heat from former world champion Paulie Malignaggi. The Mexican superstar, who's built a reputation for taking on all comers, is now being called out for supposedly fibbing about wanting to fight Dmitry Bivol again.
Canelo's had quite a run in the ring. He's grabbed world titles in four different weight classes and is currently unbeaten in the super-middleweight division. But he's not without his setbacks. He lost to Floyd Mayweather back in 2013 at a 152-pound catchweight. Then in 2021, he moved up to light-heavyweight and got outboxed by Dmitry Bivol.
After that loss to Bivol, Canelo was all about getting another shot. But talks fell apart when they couldn't agree on the weight class. Bivol wanted to move down to 168 and challenge for Canelo's belts, saying he's only interested in titles and building his legacy.
Now, Canelo's saying the only fight he'd take at light-heavyweight is a Bivol rematch. But Malignaggi isn't buying it. In a recent interview, he didn't hold back:
"I think for him to be able to say something so ridiculous that he knows he's lying, he's lying right through his teeth. He's not gonna make the Bivol fight."
Malignaggi brought up how Canelo promised to fight David Benavidez two years ago but never followed through. He reckons Canelo's just playing his fans:
"It means he has a realisation of how dumb the fanbase is."
For now, Canelo's got his hands full with a unified title defense against Edgar Berlanga on September 14. He's made it clear he won't talk about other fights until after that one's done and dusted.
There's no shortage of potential opponents for Canelo down the line. Names like David Benavidez and Terence Crawford are floating around. But for now, the Bivol rematch remains a hot topic, with fans and pundits alike wondering if it'll ever happen.
