Roy Jones Jr thinks a rematch with WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol in September is not a good idea as Canelo Alvarez sees it as an unwinnable fight for the Mexican star.
Not because Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs) will have a size advantage over Canelo. Roy believes that Bivol’s fighting style is completely inappropriate for Canelo, who is unable to throw combinations without quickly becoming tired, flushing his face and having to rest with his back against the ropes.
We saw this routine many times last year when Bivol trained Canelo in a much more one-sided fight than the score set by the judging panel. Jones believes the fight should have been judged a miss decision and believes the rematch will be even more one-sided as Bivol will be more confident the second time around.
“Canelo has come out of a time when boxing needed a face. Floyd and Pacquiao were last; Canelo was a young guy,” said Roy Jones Jr Verified.
“I don’t think he beat Bivol in any way because Bivol is the bigger guy and I don’t think his style is in line with the way Canelo wants to fight,” said Jones Jr. “The styles don’t match.
“I’d rather see him fight Benavidez because they’re Mexican and their physique makes for a great fight. Few people think they can beat Bivol. Due to how uneven their fight was, we don’t see him defeating Bivol.
Former multi-division world champion Jones Jr compared superstar Canelo’s early defeats to other greats who dominated from the start, such as Salvador Sanchez and Erik Morales.
“He’s definitely good and he’s up there, probably in the top five,” Roy said of Alvarez.
Canelo’s impressive victories throughout his long career mean he is one of the key players in the boxing world. However, Roy notes that the landscape has changed significantly over time and has affected the impact of social media on the sport, suggesting that it has added another layer of complexity to assessing boxers’ skill level.
“Nowadays you focus on social media content. Skill-wise you’re probably one of the top three, but skill-wise you’re probably one of six to seven,” said Roy.
Jones prefers Canelo fight Benavidez, seeing it as a more winnable fight than a rematch with WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol.
Jones Jr further expressed his concern about the current state of the boxing world, where he feels the sense of competition has diminished as some fighters have focused more on nurturing friendships instead of competition. In his opinion, the essence of sport is to face the best.
Canelo’s future in the boxing ring remains the subject of speculation and prediction. Whether or not he faces Benavidez next, fans and fellow boxers will be watching him with great interest. Despite differing views on Canelo’s stature among all-time great Mexican fighters, there’s no denying his talent and influence on the sport.
