Notebook: Bivol: From unknown prospect to facing Canelo at boxing's pinnacle
Zhang gets new foe; iFL TV appearance; Ogawa-Cordina set; Wallin stays busy; Quick hits; Show and tell
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LAS VEGAS — Five years ago last month, Dmitry Bivol was a 9-0 prospect fighting in the United States for the third time and making his American television debut on Showtime’s “ShoBox: The New Generation” in an interim light heavyweight title defense against Samuel Clarkson.
Bivol dropped Clarkson three times en route to a fourth-round knockout in an extremely impressive performance.
Fast forward to today and Bivol, the WBA light heavyweight titleholder, remains undefeated, owns a solid resume that includes notable victories against Joe Smith Jr. (who went on to win a world title), former world champion Jean Pascal and longtime contender Sullivan Barrera and is set to be on the biggest stage possible in boxing.
That stage will be his ninth title defense against pound-for-pound king and undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez, boxing’s biggest star, on Saturday (DAZN PPV and PPV.com, 8 p.m. ET) — Cinco de Mayo weekend — at T-Mobile Arena.
Of course, there was no guarantee Bivol would reach the pinnacle of the sport, but he always believed in himself, and looking back, he knows how important that televised victory over Clarkson was.
“I’m glad where I am now,” Bivol told Fight Freaks Unite inside the media center at the MGM Grand on Tuesday. “The fight against Clarkson was really important, a really important fight for me because I showed my skills, I showed one of the best versions of Dmitry Bivol, and people believed in me as I believed in my skills, and I worked hard and this is where I am.”
Following the Clarkson win, Bivol went to HBO — still the U.S. TV boxing powerhouse at the time — for his next five fights before moving to DAZN when HBO ended its boxing coverage at the end of 2018.
Bivol (19-0, 11 KOs), 31, beat Smith impressively and has had three relatively low-profile defenses since against Lenin Castillo, Craig Richards and a mandatory defense in a Russian homecoming against countryman Umar Salamov in December. None of those wins were particularly impressive but with Alvarez (57-1-2, 39 KOs), 31, of Mexico, interested in returning to light heavyweight to try to win a second belt in the division, Bivol was the obvious opponent. He was available and the fight was makeable as part of the two-fight deal Alvarez signed in February with Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, who is also Bivol’s promoter.
“Of course, I didn’t know, but I believed that I will be here,” Bivol said. “Every time when I watched Showtime, HBO or something else, the biggest fights, I believed one day I will fight in the main event or be on the Showtime or HBO. Now I am main event on DAZN.”
He said he always believed his hard work would pay off.
“Sometimes when you do something in training and it goes well you believe you can make it in the ring against a good fighter, and your coach says to you, ‘It was good, you should show me this in the ring,’” said Bivol, the married father of boys ages 5 and 7, who are at home in Saint Petersburg, Russia. “Coach believes in me, my family, of course, and my dad. Every time believes in me. This helped me.”
Vadim Kornilov, Bivol’s manager, is happy that Bivol, a low-key guy, has reached this elite level of boxing.
“He has dedicated his entire life to boxing just like any other boxer,” Kornilov said. “He dedicated his life. He stayed away from his kids, from his wife for many months just training, going all over the world to fight, trying to prove himself. Now he’s here. He’s here to prove he’s the best.
“I can’t say I had doubts, but you can’t predict what will happen. I didn’t have doubts in Dmitry being able to beat anybody.”
Hrgovic off Canelo card
Heavyweight contender Filip Hrgovic has withdrawn from an IBF title elimination fight against Zhang Zhilei that was scheduled to take place on the Canelo Alvarez-Dmitry Bivol undercard.
Hrgovic withdrew in because of the recent death of his father, according to sources.
After learning of the elder Hrgovic’s passing, Matchroom Boxing launched a search for a new opponent to face Zhang on short notice knowing there was a good possibility that Hrgovic would eventually pull out.
Read my full my story on the situation on Big Fight Weekend here: https://bigfightweekend.com/news/filip-hrgovic-withdraws-from-saturday-night-co-feature/
On Tuesday, a source with knowledge of the deal told Fight Freaks Unite the efforts to find a new opponent were successful and that Chinese southpaw Zhang (23-0-1, 18 KOs), 39, will face Scott Alexander (16-4-2, 8 KOs), 33, of Los Angeles, in a 10-rounder. Alexander has never been stopped even against the best opponents he has lost to such as Travis Kauffman and Carlos Negron.
iFL TV appearance
I joined my friends at iFL TV inside the Canelo-Bivol media center at the MGM Grand to discuss various boxing topics. I gave my views on Saturday’s Canelo-Bivol fight, we discussed the story I reported about Anthony Joshua being poised to re-sign with Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and we looked back at the Tyson Fury-Dillian Whyte heavyweight championship fight, Fury’s supposed retirement and what might be next for Whyte. Please check out the video here:
Ogawa to defend vs. Cordina
Kenichi Ogawa will make the first defense of his IBF junior lightweight title on the road when he heads to Joe Cordina’s hometown to fight him on June 4 (DAZN) at Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales, Matchroom Boxing announced on Tuesday.
“This is it for Joe Cordina, the opportunity of a lifetime and his moment of truth,” Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn said. “Joe has an opportunity to become world champion in his home city and put himself up there with the greats. Ogawa is huge step up — big, strong and proven as an elite fighter. Victory for both men sets up huge unification opportunities.”
Ogawa (26-1-1, 18 KOs), 29, of Japan, won the vacant 130-pound belt by clear decision over Azinga Fuzile, whom he knocked down twice, on Nov. 27 on the Teofimo Lopez-George Kambosos Jr. undercard in New York.
“Hello to Team Cordina. I am disappointed that I could not attend the launch press conference but I'm looking forward to fighting in Cardiff,” Ogawa said. “Let's be in our best shape for this fight. But I will be the one to win this fight. See you in a month.”
Cordina (14-0, 8 KOs), 30, who was a 2016 Olympian, is a former British and Commonwealth lightweight champion but he dropped down to junior lightweight for his last fight December,
“I’ve dedicated my entire life to boxing and to putting myself in this position,” Cordina said. “Now it all comes down to this opportunity, my world title shot. It’s a lifelong dream of mine to become a world champion and a stepping stone to securing my family’s future and making all of the times missed with them worth it.
“I’ll be taking this opportunity with both hands. I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to win and be crowned the new IBF champion. Be ready to see the best Joe Cordina come fight night as I put my name at the top of the division.”
On the undercard, Faroukh Kourbanov (19-3, 3 KOs), 30, a Belgium native, will defend the European junior lightweight title for the first time when he meets Zelfa Barrett (27-1, 16 KOs), 28, of England. Kourbanov lost a 10-round majority decision to Cordina in March 2021.
Wallin back in action
Swedish heavyweight contender Otto Wallin (23-1, 14 KOs), a 31-year-old southpaw based in New York, will stay busy against journeyman Rydell Booker (26-5-1, 13 KOs), 41, of Detroit, in the main event of a Salita Promotions card on May 26 at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center in Dearborn, Michigan.
Wallin’s only loss was a decision in a highly competitive fight challenging Tyson Fury for the lineal title in September 2019. Wallin, a 10-1 underdog, opened serious cuts around Fury’s eye and nearly stopped him.
Since the loss, Wallin has won three fights in a row, including against fringe contender Travis Kauffman and former two-time title challenger Dominic Breazeale.
“I’ve been getting a lot of work in over the last few months,” Wallin said. “I saw Booker when he fought (undefeated Jermaine) Franklin (in 2019) and I know that he’s an experienced and skilled boxer. He’s not someone I will underestimate, but this is a fight I need to win. I appreciate my promoter, Salita Promotions, keeping me active. This is the first time I fight twice in a year since 2019. I’m looking to put on a good performance.”
Booker is known for durability, having only been stopped once, but he is 1-4-1 in his last six fights.
Quick hits
As expected, the WBO on Tuesday stripped John Riel Casimero of its bantamweight title and elevated Paul Butler from interim to full titleholder. It also slotted Casimero, who has two weeks to appeal the decision, No. 1 in its bantamweight rankings. England’s Butler (34-2, 15 KOs), 33, won the vacant interim belt by decision over Jonas Sultan on April 22 when Sultan was a late replacement for Casimero, who was supposed to face mandatory challenger Butler in a rescheduled bout but was not allowed to fight by British authorities because he broke their medical guidelines pertaining to cutting weight. Because the Philippines’ Casimero (31-4, 21 KOs), 34, had previously withdrawn on short notice from facing Butler on Dec. 11 in Dubai, he was warned beforehand by the WBO that if he did not fight Butler on April 22 for any reason he would be stripped. The WBO went through its review process, the committee voted and he was stripped for failing to comply with its order.
Undisputed women’s welterweight champion Jessica McCaskill (11-2, 4 KOs), 37, of Chicago, now has an opponent for her third title defense. She will face Alma Ibarra (9-1, 4 KOs), 34, of Mexico, sources with knowledge of the deal told Fight Freaks Unite. Matchroom Boxing announced last week that McCaskill would be in one of the four world title bouts on a June 25 (DAZN) card at Tech Port Arena in San Antonio, but had not yet signed an opponent. San Antonio’s Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez headlines in his first WBC junior bantamweight title defense against former champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai.
Coming off an impressive performance in a sixth-round knockout of Esteban Sanchez in the co-feature of the Shakur Stevenson’s junior lightweight title unification win over Oscar Valdez on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, blue chip lightweight prospect Keyshawn Davis has his next date. Davis (5-0, 4 KOs), 23, of Norfolk, Virginia, told Fight Freaks Unite that he is scheduled to return on Top Rank’s July 23 ESPN card. The card is scheduled to be headlined by a junior welterweight fight between former lightweight world titlists Jose Pedraza and Richard Commey at a site to be determined.
Fathom Events and DAZN have partnered and will show the Canelo Alvarez-Dmitry Bivol card on Saturday (8 p.m. ET) in movie theaters around the United States. For tickets and a list of theater locations check FathomEvents.com.
With the rematch between junior middleweight titleholders Jermell Charlo and Brian Castano for the undisputed title set for May 14 on Showtime, the network offers “Charlo vs. Castano: Round by Round” on which Showtime’s Hall of Fame analyst, boxing historian and unofficial scorer Steve Farhood breaks down their first outstanding first from last July that ended in a draw. The show has multiple replays available on various Showtime platforms and is also available on the Showtime Sports YouTube channel.
The lightweight fight between former world titleholders Tevin Farmer (30-5-1, 6 KOs), 32, a southpaw from Philadelphia, and Mickey Bey (23-3-1, 11 KOs), 38, of Cleveland, scheduled for May 21 has been moved to a new site on short notice. The fight, which will be streamed via FarmervsBeyPPV .com, was due to take place at the Accra Sports Center in Ghana but will now take place at Coca Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Former junior lightweight titlist Farmer told Fight Freaks Unite the reason for the switch was because “Ghana out of nowhere started requiring everyone to be vaccinated” against Covid-19. Farmer added that moving was “better than cancelling.”
Show and tell
Superstar Oscar De La Hoya, the face of boxing at the time, was coming off his electrifying knockout of Ricardo Mayorga to win the WBC junior middleweight title one year earlier. Floyd Mayweather was coming off his shutout of Carlos Baldomir to take his WBC and lineal welterweight title. The biggest fight that could possibly be made in boxing was De La Hoya-Mayweather. It was a fight with a million storylines, bad blood between the combatants and massive public interest. They had a long, dramatic build up to the fight, which also launched the game-changing HBO series “24/7” that followed the fighters through their training camps. It was a smash hit and undoubtedly drove pay-per-view buys.
I was ringside for the fight and it was one of the most star-studded nights ever in Las Vegas. De La Hoya was very competitive, especially early thanks to his jab, which he ultimately abandoned and it cost him. In the end, Mayweather won a split decision — I had him winning 116-112 — and the junior middleweight title in a fight that shattered all revenue records (which have since been broken), including domestic pay-per-view buys (2.45 million), overall revenue ($165 million) and live gate ($18,419,200).
The mega fight, which launched Mayweather to superstardom, is one of the biggest fights I’ve ever covered. It was on May 5, 2007 — 15 years ago on Thursday. There were several different posters made for this fight from the HBO PPV version, various sponsor posters and the official site poster. I have all of them but here is the site poster in my collection.
Canelo-Bivol photo: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing; Wallin-Breazeale photo: Amanda Westcott/Showtime
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