Canelo Alvarez still has a shot at the undisputed lithe heavyweight title against four-division champion Artur Beterbiev after defeating Dmitry Bivol last Saturday night in Riyad, Saudi Arabia.

If Canelo wants to show fans that he’s brave and not a guy who hand-picks only select fighters, he’ll call on Beterbiev to start campaigning to fight him next. His Excellency Turki Alalshikh said last Saturday evening that he wanted to make a rematch between Beterbiev and Bivol. However, Turki may change his mind if Canelo volunteers to fight Beterbiev again.

The winner of that fight could next face Bivol or the winner of the David Morrell-David Benavidez fight on January 25. Ideally, a semifinal would be where Bivol would face the winner of Morrell vs. Benavidez will then face King Beterbiev for the undisputed championship. Meanwhile, Canelo will face Beterbiev in his next fight.

Will Canelo want to fight Beterbiev?

This will be a very different kind of fight for Canelo against Beterbiev, no doubt, than the fight against the finesse-oriented Bivol, a pristine boxer who shows aggression at times. Beterbiev is a different story. He would be like a bigger, bolder, more powerful version of Gennady Golovkin.

Canelo has always preferred to fight sluggers that are in his face and attack him with difficult shots. This is the type of fighter Canelo has thrived on. But Beterbiev hits so difficult that Canelo would have a real problem if he got close and took shots like he did to Bivol last Saturday night.

Bivol won the early rounds against Beterbiev because he was not under internal pressure and did not have to deal with his attack. However, the fight changed hands when Beterbiev turned it on in the seventh round in response to an early attack by Bivol. Bivol was very afraid of the attack and was never the same again. That was all Beterbiev in the seventh round.

Beterbiev thwarted Canelo’s plans

Mexican star Canelo (62-2-2.39 KO) had hoped to face Bivol (23-1, 12 KO) in a rematch for all gold at 175, but his 12-round majority loss to the IBF, WBC, and WBO lithe heavyweight champion Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KO) at the Kingdom Arena thwarted these plans.

It’s not the end of the world for Canelo. He can fight for four belts, but he won’t be able to fight Bivol unless he agrees to fight for no belts and fight a guy who just lost.

Former IBF delicate heavyweight champion Sivenathi Nontshinga has vowed to return to form and become a three-time world champion after losing his title to Japanese heavyweight star Masamichi Yabuki.

The South African was stopped in the ninth round in Tokoname on Saturday and took revenge for his only previous loss to Adrian Curiel.

“You know those vibes. I will go back to drawing, I will work strenuous, I will remain humble as always, I can be taught, I have my feet firmly on the ground, I will never change. I will never let losses define me,” Nontshinga, who has fallen three times, told SA Boxingtalk.

“He caught me with a strenuous punch that I didn’t expect. I tried to look in my corner, but I couldn’t see anyone. I just heard this noise.

“The best one won,” added the 25-year-old with a record of 13-2 (10 KO).

“I’ll stay at the gym. I will continue to work strenuous. It’s just a minor setback, now it’s time for me to become a three-time world champion… It’s not a setback, it’s a learning opportunity. I will contact you again.

“Everything went as it went. I’m not ashamed of my losses… It’s not the end of the world. I’m still teenage. I will come back to the top.”

South Africa coach Colin Nathan admitted he felt “gutted” in the dressing room after the match.

“Yabuki is very mighty,” the coach said. “I felt that we were behind, I felt that we were entering the fight, but with the power of Kabuki’s withdrawal… He is also very large, because he weighs 108. We lost to a better fighter that night. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but unfortunately we all have to swallow it.

“I was very proud [of Nontshinga]. I saw that the first right hand took all the stuffing out of it. It kind of looked and said, “Dude, you need to get up.” I am very proud that he stood up and showed character and heart. You have to congratulate Yabuki.”

Artur Beterbiev won the undisputed featherlight heavyweight championship with a majority decision victory over Dmitry Bivol on Saturday at the Kingdom Arena in Riyad, Saudi Arabia.

Beterbiev closed the fight of Russian boxers strongly and won with scores of 115-113, 116-112 and 114-114 in an invigorating fight fought at the highest level.

With his victory in the long-awaited summit meeting, Beterbiev became boxing’s first undisputed 175-pound champion in the four-belt era. Bivol entered the fight rated No. 1 by ESPN in the featherlight heavyweight division and No. 4 pound-for-pound. Beterbiev was No. 2 in the league and No. 6 pound-for-pound.

“Of course it’s a tough fight because Dmitri is also a champion,” Beterbiev said. “He has good skills, maybe better than me. But today Allah has chosen me.”

Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KO) entered the fight as the only boxing champion with a 100% KO rate, and the streak ended on Saturday with the biggest victory in his prosperous career.

Beterbiev will turn 40 in January and is undergoing knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus that postponed the June fight. However, in the second half of the fight, he was still able to rally and establish himself as a Hall of Fame fighter.

Bivol (23-1, 12 KO) controlled the action throughout the first half, especially early on as he unleashed his excellent jab and footwork to keep a mighty punch at bay.

Bivol was the cleaner and sharper puncher and did well to counter Beterbiev with a left hook after his famed powerful jab. But Beterbiev never stopped coming. Even when his punches were blocked – and most of them were – they seemed to still have an effect on Bivol’s high guard.

The 33-year-old Bivol entered the fight with an advantage in experience in major fights following his career-best victory over top boxing star Canelo Alvarez in May 2022. But it was Beterbiev who rolled through the final three rounds to claim the victory.

“I did what I had to do,” Bivol said. “I felt I could do better. … He is powerful, very powerful.

“And you see I have a bruise on my hand,” he said, raising his hand to his eye. “He always beat it and it was so strenuous that it even came up to my eye.”

Bivol emerged with his left eye badly bruised and swollen, and he also had marks around his right eye.

“I am aware that I have to do everything perfectly and I don’t have any explanation because it might seem like an excuse,” Bivol said. “I just [give] Congratulations to Artur and his team. He deserved it, no problem. I just have time to make another decision about my future.”

The fight clearly needed a rematch, and many observers and fans scored for Bivol. Demand should also be high, given the drama of the competition and the lack of a clear winner.

Bivol’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, expressed anger at the outcome of the fight, especially the 116-112 score in Beterbiev’s favor.

“Listen, I don’t want to be disrespectful to Beterbiev,” Hearn said. “But you saw the body language, they knew they had lost the fight. 116-112 Beterbiev? You gave Bivol four rounds? It’s a joke. Of course [we want a rematch]was robbed of an undisputed championship tonight. I can’t believe you could give Bivol four rounds. …It’s absolutely disgusting. I am completely surprised and disgusted by the result of 116-112.”

Bivol said he “of course” wants another chance at Beterbiev: “Why not?… If I get that chance, then yes. My dream is to be undisputed.”

But it was Beterbiev who fulfilled his dream of winning all four belts, adding Bivol’s WBA title to his IBF, WBC and WBO titles.

“I wanted to box with more quality today,” Beterbiev said. “I don’t know why, but I didn’t like this fight. But one day I will be better. …If His Excellency [Turki Alalshikh] I want [the rematch]then we can do it.”