Bivol: Now I Have To Push Myself In Training Camp, Forget About Canelo And Only Think About Zurdo

Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez is ready to put the past behind him.

So is the man responsible for his first loss in nine years.

Dmitry Bivol will be in training camp preparing for a new challenge while Guadalajara’s Alvarez (57-2-2, 39KOs) prepares for a third fight with old rival Gennadiy ‘GGG’ Golovkin. The trilogy clash marks Alvarez’s return to super middleweight, where he defends his undisputed super middleweight championship this Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (DAZN Pay-Per-View/PPV.com, $84.99 SRP).

The venue hosted the first two Alvarez-Golovkin fights along with Bivol’s victory over the Mexican superstar on May 7 to successfully defend his WBA light heavyweight title. The victory lap enjoyed by the undefeated Bivol (20-0, 11KOs) after the most celebrated victory of his career was officially over once it was time for him to move on to his next fight. That moment will come in a mandatory title defense against Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (44-0, 30KOs) on November 5 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

“I went through a lot of emotions in the fight against Canelo,” Bivol told BoxingScene.com. “Now I have to make an effort in training, forget about Canelo and think only about Zurdo”.

Bivol will celebrate his fifth full year as the renowned WBA light heavyweight champion on the eve of his upcoming showdown with the undefeated Ramirez. The reign was extended after a terrific performance against Álvarez, dominating the Mexican superstar despite having to settle for absurdly close and even scores of 115-113 on all three scorecards.

The achievement was considered a surprise in punters’ opinion, allowing Bivol a long-awaited breakout moment in a largely anonymous career. There were brief discussions about whether Alvarez would enforce a rematch clause in the contract, before it emerged that he was already committed to a third fight with Golovkin, whom he fought to a draw and later claimed a narrow majority decision victory in his previous fight. two fights

Bivol will now carry his newfound fame into his mandatory title defense with Alvarez’s undefeated but less celebrated countryman. He presents himself with a different set of challenges facing Ramirez, a 31-year-old southpaw who previously held the WBO super middleweight title before moving up in weight. Bivol will enter his fight as a -550 favorite according to FanDuel Sportsbook, six months after serving as a very live underdog in the high-profile fight with Alvarez.

“Of course, it’s a little more difficult,” Bivol admitted as he matched the motivation that led to the Alvarez fight. “I try to stay focused on Southpaw and train to beat Southpaw. In my head I know that I have to train to beat Zurdo”.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox