"They somehow said I was from California" - Dmitry Bivol discusses surprise during Canelo Alvarez introduction
Dmitry Bivol being introduced as hailing from California this past weekend was a surprise to many, including the fighter himself.
The WBA (Super) Light-Heavyweight Champion faced off against Canelo Alvarez on Saturday night in Las Vegas. Despite being a big underdog, the Russian boxed beautifully. Bivol outpointed the Mexican superstar en route to a unanimous decision victory.
Before the bout got underway, the fight had traditional introductions. Both champions were introduced, but there was something noticeably off during Bivol's presentation. Instead of hailing from Russia, where he currently lives, or Kyrgyzstan, where he used to reside, he was announced as being from California.
The introduction came as a surprise to the Light-Heavyweight Champion himself. While speaking to Igor Lazorin, Bivol noted that he didn't before the introduction happened. While he currently trains in the state, he believes it happened due to Russia's current war with Ukraine.
Discussing the situation, he said [h/t BoxingScene]:
"It was a surprise for me how they announced me. They didn’t say that I was from St. Petersburg or Kyrgyzstan, they somehow said that I was from California. I don’t blame the organizers, I treat them with a level of understanding, but for me the main thing was the fight. It’s nice when you get to represent your country, but I think everyone understands everything [that's going on]."
Dmitry Bivol discusses rematching Canelo Alvarez
Dmitry Bivol has no issues fighting Canelo Alvarez again, he'll even fight him at his own weight class.
The Russian's victory over the Mexican superstar happened up at light-heavyweight. While Alvarez has boxed as high as 175 pounds in the past, he has only done so on one occasion. His 2019 knockout victory over Sergey Kovalev saw him claim gold at the weight class.
Some have stated that one of the key factors behind Alvarez being dominated by Bivol had to do with the weight difference. In response, the light-heavyweight has stated that he's willing to do a rematch at super middleweight next. He's never fought at 168 pounds as a professional boxer.
In an interview with IFL TV, Bivol said:
“Maybe I could, only for belts you know. Only for four belts. I have to think about it. I think, we all have to think about it.”
Watch Dmitry Bivol's interview with IFL TV below: