One eye on Beterbiev vs. Smith - Eddie Hearn reveals plans for Dmitry Bivol

Eddie Hearn has revealed the plan for Dmitry Bivol's next fight. On May 7, Dmitry Bivol shocked the boxing world by defeating the then-pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez.

The Russian took the Mexican into deep waters and won by a unanimous decision to serve Canelo the second professional loss of his career.

With the announcement of Alvarez's next fight being confirmed against Gennadiy Golovkin in the trilogy, this opens the door for Bivol's next fight as well. Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has divulged a potential contest for Bivol, while Canelo fights 'GGG'.

While speaking to iFL TV, Hearn said:

"We're keeping, as a team, one eye on [Artur] Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr. because there is a chance that Dmitry Bivol will fight the winner of that for the undisputed. We'll continue to monitor that situation as well. But obviously, if that's the case then, if he [Bivol] got beat, is the Canelo fight still as big?"

Hearn then added:

"The Canelo Alvarez fight for Dmitry Bivol in terms of the rematch is by far financially the biggest fight out there for him, but he does also want to try to unify or become undisputed at 175."

With Bivol seeking the winner of Artur Beterbiev and Joe Smith Jr., it could set him up for a huge undisputed clash. However, if he loses in an undisputed fight, the rematch with Canelo could start to drift away.

The light heavyweight unification clash between Beterbiev and Smith is on Saturday, June 18 in New York. Beterbiev is the WBC and IBF champion while Smith holds the WBO title.

Watch Hearn's full interview here:

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Is the undisputed fight too much of a risk for Dmitry Bivol?

Bivol, of course, has the desire to fight in the biggest contests and would jump at the opportunity to face the winner of Beterbiev and Smith. However, he may consider an undisputed fight after facing Canelo in a rematch.

Any fight involving the Mexican is huge and offers significant financial value, therefore the Russian may weigh-up his options before jumping into an undisputed contest. If Bivol were to lose in a high-risk fight against Beterbiev or Smith, he could potentially miss out on a rematch with Alvarez, as well as lose his title.

With the unification bout between Beterbiev and Smith quickly approaching, Bivol has time to finalise a decision for his future. If the Russian selects the undisputed fight, he will have the opportunity to become the undisputed light-heavyweight champion of the world.

Watch Bivol vs. Alvarez here: