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Canelo Alvarez has explained his move up to light-heavyweight to fight Dmitry Bivol.
The Mexican superstar is currently set to fight the Russian in May for the WBA (Super) Light-Heavyweight Title. The bout will be the first on his deal with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing.
It was also not a fight that Alvarez had to accept. There's been no shortage of contenders who have lined up to fight the Mexican for his Undisputed Super-Middleweight title. Names such as David Benavidez, Jermall Charlo and Demetrius Andrade have all called him out as of late.
Instead of defending his titles, he's instead opting to move up in weight to challenge for light-heavyweight gold. He explained accepting the bout in an interview with ESNEWS, claiming that he's choosing to fight for legacy over money.
Alvarez said:
"Whatever option for me, the money's there. I just want to make history. Dmitry Bivol offered me a world champion at 175 pounds. It's a hard fight, he's a very good fighter. The money's there no matter what. I don't care about money, I care about my legacy."
Watch Canelo Alvarez talk about fighting Dmitry Bivol below:
Canelo Alvarez will be fighting at light-heavyweight for the first time since 2019
Canelo Alvarez will look to add to his legacy and his trophy case against Dmitry Bivol in May. However, if he wins, it won't be the first time he has captured gold at 175 pounds.
The last time the Mexican superstar fought at light-heavyweight was when he took on Sergey Kovalev in November 2019. 'Krusher' was the then-WBO Light-Heavyweight Champion and was expected to give Alvarez a massive challenge that night in Nevada.
For 11 rounds, Kovalev did give a spirited effort. The Russian was much more shopworn thanks to recent wars against Eleider Alvarez and Anthony Yarde. Despite that, he gave a great account of himself by slowing down the bout and finding a home for his jab. The Mexican, meanwhile, struggled to find a home for his trademark power shots.
The fight was razor-close until the 11th round when Alvarez found the off-switch. The Mexican superstar landed a left-hook, straight right combination that put the champion out cold. With the victory, Alvarez joined a rare club in boxing by becoming a four-division titleholder.
Alvarez has the chance to replicate history in May, as he takes on another Russian light-heavyweight champion in Las Vegas for 175-pound gold.
