By Natalia Rueda 
Russian boxer Dmitry Bivol is firmly placing the spotlight on a potential unification match against current semi-heavyweight world champion Artur Beterbiev, instead of a potential rematch with Saul Alvarez.
Vadim Kornilov, representative of Bivol, made a clear statement to ESPN: “They don’t want revenge, they know that they lost very badly in the first fight and that they have less chance of winning in the second. A revenge cannot be given in the same terms of the fight that you lost. It’s absurd. We’re moving forward. Artur Beterbiev is our objective.”
The team of Bivol has accused Alvarez of presenting various excuses that have prevented a direct rematch from taking place. Bivol insists that the match should take place at 168 pounds, whereas Alvarez is calling for a match at 175 pounds, a natural category for Russians.
The recent offer from Mexican-Ecuadorian David Benavidez of 50 million dollars to Alvarez has only increased the fervor of the debate. Kornilov has accused the team of Alvarez of “saying this to justify themselves and make another fight like they did with Gennadiy Golovkin, John Ryder and maybe Edgar Berlanga.”
Will Bivol be able to get the unification match with Beterbiev he’s after, or will Alvarez be able to shift the narrative to a potential rematch? Time will tell, but with the stakes as high as they are, it’s almost certain to be an exciting ride.