Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, boxing's biggest draw, has changed his mind about facing light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol. The Mexican superstar now plans to stay in his current weight class.
Canelo, 34, from Guadalajara, Mexico, recently signed a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season. The first bout of this agreement will take place on May 3 in Saudi Arabia. Alvarez will face William Scull in a unification bout. Scull holds the IBF belt that was stripped from Canelo last year.
The second fight of the deal will be a mega-fight against Terence Crawford in Las Vegas, scheduled for September. The details for the third and fourth fights remain undecided.
Alvarez previously intended to avenge his defeat against Dmitry Bivol. However, he's now changed his stance. In a recent interview with CBS Sports, Canelo stated:
"Yeah, the plan is to stay in this weight class."
This decision makes a rematch with Bivol unlikely. Canelo only wants to fight Bivol at light-heavyweight, and Bivol seems more likely to move up to cruiserweight than drop down to super middleweight.
The change in plans also takes a potential fight with David Benavidez off the table. Benavidez has moved up to 175 lbs and is now the mandatory challenger for Bivol. He's made it clear that light-heavyweight is his minimum weight, and he won't drop back down.
Canelo's career spans 66 fights with only two losses. He currently reigns as the super middleweight champion. However, he faces a challenge with dwindling options for high-profile opponents in his weight class.
Bivol, the undisputed light-heavyweight champion, had previously said he'd move down to fight for Canelo's belts. But with Canelo's recent statement, that scenario looks increasingly unlikely.
As Canelo continues his journey in the super middleweight division, fans will watch with interest to see who he faces next after his upcoming bouts with Scull and Crawford.
