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WATCH: Dmitry Bivol Becomes the First Fighter Since Floyd Mayweather to Defeat Canelo Alvarez

Published 05/08/2022, 1:02 AM EDT

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The resounding cheers from boxing fans set the stage at the T-Mobile Arena on fire. The undisputed super middleweight champion, Canelo Alvarez, returned to the light heavyweight division to face the reigning behemoth, Dmitry Bivol.

The titans gave their all in their battle for glory. Meanwhile, boxing fans were witnesses to a true display of pugilistic prowess.

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Canelo Alvarez came in as the more experienced fighter, with a stellar record of 57-1-2. He was last seen in the ring on November 6, 2021, when he faced Caleb Plant at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Paradise, Nevada. He became the undisputed super-middleweight champion by defeating Plant via knockout.

Meanwhile, Bivol was coming in with an intimidating winning streak of 19-0 with 11 knockouts. He was last seen in the ring on December 11, 2021, when he faced Umar Salamov at the KRK Uralets in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Bivol retained his WBA (Super) light heavyweight title by being declared the winner by decision.

Dmitry Bivol retains his throne

The event started off with the singing of both the Mexican and American national anthems. Mexican singer Carin Leon sang the Mexican national anthem, while ‘Golden Pipes’ Carnell Johnson sang the American national anthem.

The entry of both the fighters was truly a sight to behold. Bivol seemed like a party crasher at Alvarez’s Cinco de Mayo celebration. He was welcomed with what seemed like an equal amount of cheers and boos.

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However, Alvarez’s entry sent the crowd into a defeating frenzy. He entered with the music of a Mariachi band along with an array of Flamenco dancers.

The fight did not start slow. However, both fighters paced themselves while aiming for body shots. Alvarez maintained a tight guard all throughout. But Bivol landed a few jabs, trying to find out what works for himself and continuously worked on his reach.

Bivol sure was in control from the start. Moreover, his stellar footwork helped him stay immaculate with his defense.

Alvarez went more into the offense from the fourth round. However, Bivol stayed super cautious with his defense. He also served Alvarez with multiple brutal barrages. In fact, this shocked Alvarez enough to dish out more. Bivol reigns as the overlord of catch and counters in this bout.

Alvarez also had a hard time keeping Bivol on the ropes. Although Bivol stayed laser-focused, while also delivering merciless combinations. Moreover, Alvarez looked in awful shape because of taking severe punishment from Bivol.

WATCH THIS STORY – Canelo Alvarez Net Worth: Five Biggest Fight Purses Of His Illustrious Boxing Career

It seems like the formidable Alvarez finally met his match.

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In fact, the frustration got to Alvarez enough to make him carry Bivol on his shoulders across the ring. Alvarez tried to finish strong in the final round. However, he was no match for Bivol’s technical prowess.

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All the three judges scored the bout identically, 115 to 113 in favor of Bivol. Thereby, making him the winner by decision.

Was Bivol’s victory well deserved? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Joshua Ben Joseph

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Joshua Ben Joseph is a Boxing writer for EssentiallySports. He started his career as an editorial cartoonist and holds a BFA degree with a specialization in Animated Filmmaking and Screenwriting from AISFM, Hyderabad. An avid lover of boxing history, Joshua believes his writing extends his lifelong adoration for combat sports.
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Edited by:

Vibhanshu Kumar