"This is the worst thing Canelo can do" - Don King blasts superstar's May bout against Dmitry Bivol
Don King has taken aim at Canelo Alvarez's upcoming bout against Dmitry Bivol.
The Mexican superstar is set to return to the ring in May against his Russian counterpart. The fight will be the first on his new contract with Matchroom Boxing, which will fetch him upwards of $160 million. While the bout is expected to be a huge event, it has come under fire.
Alvarez's opponent Bivol is Russian, and many think the fight shouldn't proceed while his country is invading Ukraine. It's safe to say that legendary boxing promoter Don King is among those who believe the event is a mistake.
The 90-year-old discussed the upcoming fight in an interview with FightHype and opined that it's the worst thing Alvarez can do. While he didn't mention Bivol's heritage being why the fight shouldn't proceed, he does think holding the fight so close to Cinco de Mayo is a mistake. He said:
"This is the worst thing that Canelo can do to himself. Canelo comes from Mexico, and celebrates Cinco de Mayo, which is about a fight for freedom on May 5th. How you gonna celebrate Cinco de Mayo for freedom on that day, but then you're giving [a fight] to hold back freedom? You can't do that."
Watch Don King's interview with FightHype below:
Don King paid his respect to the Klitschko brothers
In the same interview with FightHype, Don King also took his time to show his respect for the Klitschko brothers. Wladimir and Vitali have both been audible in their opposition to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The elder Klitschko, Vitali, is currently the mayor of Kyiv, which is the capital of Ukraine. The city has been under heavy bombardment since the invasion began.
On the other hand, Wladimir enlisted in the military weeks before Russia began their military operation. He's given updates on the military situation in Ukraine over the past few weeks over social media.
Both men have been very vocal in their opposition to the war. 'Dr. Ironfist' has also stated that he believes that Russian boxers such as Dmitry Bivol should also be sanctioned.
Wladimir Klitschko has said he believes Dmitry Bivol should not be allowed to fight Canelo Alvarez on May 7th due to the invasion of Ukraine: "Every Russian representative needs to be sanctioned. This way we show Russia that the world is against this senseless war." [@BBC]
It seems that King stands with the heavyweights on that front. He said:
"People want to see a fight, but they're not going to go against freedom. I support freedom, and the Klitschko brothers. They came out personally and said that this fight [Canelo Alvarez vs. Dmitry Bivol] shouldn't take place. They said this fight should not be done."
Read here: Latest info on Don King's Net Worth