"He's the only guy who I think might beat Canelo" - Sparring partner on Canelo Alvarez vs. David Benavidez
Canelo Alvarez and Dmitry Bivol are scheduled to fight on May 7 at light heavyweight.
Alvarez has fought primarily at welterweight and middleweight, including the auxiliary 'junior' and 'super' classes. In 2019, he challenged Sergey Kovalev for the WBO Light Heavyweight Title, which he won. David Benavidez, a 25-year-old super middleweight and light heavyweight, has been proposed as the next best challenger for Alvarez.
Oleksandr Gvozdyk is a former professional boxer and former WBC Light Heavyweight Champion. He has also sparred with a number of current professionals, including Alvarez. The Ukrainian was recently interviewed by ESNews about the upcoming bout. When asked about David Benavidez, he said:
"He's a very skilled fighter... I think he would be a very good opponent for Canelo. He's the only guy who I think might beat Canelo."
Gvozdyk was also asked about Dmitry Bivol, though he has not sparred with him. He did not offer much opinion on the boxer.
Check out Gvozdyk's full interview with ESNews here:
Canelo Alvarez vs. Dmitry Bivol
Alvarez is currently the Undisputed Super Middleweight Champion. He has a record of 57-1-2 with 39 knockouts. His single loss was against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013. Meanwhile, Dmitry Bivol is 19-0 with 11 wins coming by way of knockout. He is the current WBA (Super) Light Heavyweight Champion.
Alvarez is considered the favorite in the upcoming bout by most analysts. Bernard Hopkins, the former middleweight great, has stated multiple times that Alvarez will win with ease. In an interview with FightHype, he said Alvarez "wins by knockout before the seventh round." Others, such as Roy Jones Jr., have said that Bivol shouldn't be counted out before the fight starts.
Alvarez spent most of his early career at welterweight, so he is not fighting in a weight class he's familiar with. Though he is known for having a good chin, the power difference between light heavyweight and even middleweight is significant. Bivol is undefeated and has previously beaten fighters such as Jean Pascal and Joe Smith Jr. He has also been commended by boxers such as Andre Ward.
@TheKidIrv24 Ward did a special on Bivol on HBO a few years ago and had nothing but good things to say about him. I'm sure that will change once Ward is given an opportunity to talk about the fight.
youtube.com/watch?v=rFtXKE…