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

Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez is ready to put the past behind him.

So, too, 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) braces 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 win over the Mexican superstar on May 7 to successfully defend his WBA light heavyweight title. The victory lap enjoyed by the unbeaten Bivol (20-0, 11KOs) following the most celebrated win of his career officially ended once it was time to move on to his own 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 spent a lot of emotions on the fight against Canelo,” Bivol told BoxingScene.com. “Now I have to push myself in training, forget about Canelo and only think about Zurdo.”

Bivol will celebrate his fifth full year as the recognized WBA light heavyweight titlist on the eve of his upcoming clash with the unbeaten Ramirez. The reign was extended following a terrific performance against Alvarez, dominating the Mexican superstar despite having to settle for absurdly close and matching scores of 115-113 on all three scorecards.

The achievement was considered an upset in the view of oddsmakers, allowing Bivol with a long overdue breakout moment in an otherwise largely anonymous career. There were brief talks of whether Alvarez would enforce a rematch clause in the contract, before it was realized that he was already committed to a third fight with Golovkin, against whom he fought to a draw and then claimed a narrow majority decision win in their previous two bouts.

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

“Of course, it’s a little bit harder,” Bivol admitted of matching the motivation he carried into the Alvarez fight. “I try to remain focused on Zurdo and train to beat Zurdo. In my head, I know I have to train to beat Zurdo.”

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