Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez should avoid a rematch with Dmitry Bivol at 175lbs, according to retired boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. The former four-weight world champion shared his thoughts on the potential fight as Canelo prepares for his upcoming bout.
Canelo, the 34-year-old Mexican superstar from Guadalajara, currently holds the WBC, WBA, and WBO super middleweight titles. He's gearing up to face William Scull with the IBF title on the line, aiming to become a two-time undisputed champion at 168lbs.
If Canelo comes out on top against Scull, he's got his sights set on a mega fight with Terence 'Bud' Crawford later this year. But there's been talk of a rematch with Bivol, who handed Canelo one of his two career losses back in 2022.
Jones Jr doesn't think that's a good idea. In an interview with Boxing Social, he said:
"No [he shouldn't rematch Bivol at 175], if its at 168 yeah, he looks good at 168 so if you wanna do it you gotta do it at 168 but not at 175."
Bivol, also 34, has been making waves in the light heavyweight division. He became the undisputed champion after beating Artur Beterbiev in a rematch on February 22 in Riyadh. The Russian fighter is expected to complete the trilogy with Beterbiev later this year.
There's been some controversy surrounding Bivol's titles. He recently vacated his WBC world title to avoid facing WBC 'Interim' champion David Benavidez. As a result, Benavidez got bumped up to full world champion status.
Canelo's loss to Bivol in 2022 was a significant setback. Now, with Jones Jr's advice and his upcoming fights, it looks like the Mexican champ might focus on dominating at 168lbs rather than moving up for a Bivol rematch.
