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Eddie Hearn believes Dmitry Bivol could fight to become undisputed at 175lbs by facing the winner of Artur Beterviev and Joe Smith Jr. before taking on a rematch with Canelo Alvarez in 2023.
Alvarez recently confirmed a trilogy fight with Gennadiy Golovkin in September, so it is almost certain that Bivol will not face Canelo again this year.
The Matchroom promoter also believes the Russian could potentially defend his WBA Light Heavyweight belt against Joshua Buatsi or Callum Smith.
Check out the news reported by talkSPORT correspondent Michael Benson:
"Eddie Hearn has said Dmitry Bivol could pursue the undisputed light-heavyweight world title fight against the Artur Beterbiev vs Joe Smith Jr winner later this year, before rematching Canelo Alvarez in 2023 - other options include Joshua Buatsi or Callum Smith. [ @DAZNBoxing Show]"
Beterbiev vs. Smith Jr. is scheduled for June 18 in Madison Square Garden and the WBC, WBO, and IBF Championships will all be on the line. Dmitry Bivol holds the remaining WBA strap and it is plausible he could fight for all the belts by the end of the year.
Bivol is coming off a sensational upset victory against Alvarez, who he outboxed and dominated over 12 rounds to gain a unanimous decision. The Russian is now ranked as the eight best pound-for-pound fighter in the world by Ring Magazine.
Watch the fight highlights between Canelo and Bivol:
Could Dmitry Bivol face Joshua Buatsi next?
If Bivol is unable to secure the undisputed fight at 175lbs, it is possible that he could face Buatsi next. The Brit recently defeated Craig 'Spider' Richards at the O2 arena in a WBA world title eliminator. Buatsi showcased his determination and skill by beating a savvy and awkward opponent in Richards.
Watch the fight highlights between Buatsi and Richards:
However, Buatsi's head trainer, Virgil Hunter, did not seem overly convinced when asked in the post-fight press conference whether his charge could defeat Bivol.
Here's what Hunter said in the post-fight press conference:
"I can't honestly say that right now because being at the world title level there's just some things I need to see. He's always going to be in the fight, trust me he's going to be there. I'm not saying he would lose to Bivol or Canelo. With Bivol there's some things we should work on some more and make him complete. Give him the opportunity to win a belt and keep a belt."
Watch the full video with Hunter's comments in the post-fight press conference:
