By Lourence Alturino
Image from LA Times
Dmitry Bivol did it. The WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion has successfully defended his championship in a dominant unanimous decision against Canelo Alvarez. Big upset last night, but how did this happen? Let's break it down.
Full Recap
The fight started off very well for Bivol as he immediately established his jab and pushed Canelo forward. This would be a preview of what the rest of the fight would look like. Early on, Canelo made his strategy known, attack the arms. Alvarez previously deployed this strategy against Callum Smith and it was incredibly effective. Howbeit, this didn't affect Bivol at all.
Throughout the fight, Bivol was continuously using his jab well and landed combination after combination. Bivol's punches weren't devastating, but the volume of his punches overwhelmed Canelo. Most of Canelo's punches landed on Bivol's gloves and arms as opposed to his head. Canelo couldn't get through the high guard of Bivol and did go for the body at times, but not as much as I thought he would've. Bivol landed flush on his punches for all 12 rounds and Canelo just could not find an answer.
Final Thoughts
Last night marks Canelo Alvarez's 2nd loss ever and first since Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013. But, this should not be a bad look on his legacy. Reminder that this is not Alvarez's division. Canelo moved up to 175 to challenge himself and chase greatness once again. He failed in doing so, but there should be no shame in attempting to be greater. Whether, he does invoke the rematch clause or not, respect to Alvarez for taking the risk.
Dmitry Bivol fought the absolute perfect fight. Basically a flawless fight for Bivol. The official scorecards all read as 115-113, but I personally didn't have it that close. I had it 9-3 (117-111) for Bivol. Canelo only won rounds 4, 5, and 9 on my card. The rest of the way Bivol lead the dance and won in fascinating fashion. Dmitry Bivol absolutely shocked the world last night with a masterful performance.
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