Gilberto Ramirez: Canelo Has No Choice But To Fight Me!
JAKARTA - Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Dmitry Bivol may not face each other again, according to Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez.
Bivol made a big surprise when he beat Canelo for twelve rounds last May to defend his WBA light heavyweight title.
Canelo had the option of demanding a rematch, but he ultimately opted to defend his undisputed super middleweight title against Gennady Golovkin in a three-fight series next September.
In many interviews, Canelo has made it clear that he wants a rematch with Bivol in May 2023. However, Bivol was recently mandated by the WBA to fight Ramirez. Ramirez believes a win over Bivol will pave the way for a future fight with Canelo.
The Mexican also rejected the idea of agreeing a deal so that Bivol could fight Joshua Createsi in the fall.
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"Of course not, why should I do [the deal away] if I already have my mandatory chance, the title chance, the dream I've been waiting for... for a long time," Ramirez told ESPN.
"I'm sorry for Canelo, but that rematch with Bivol wouldn't have happened, unless he wanted to keep fighting Dmitry Bivol, but after I beat Bivol, Canelo had no choice but to fight me."
A few days ago, Ramírez's wish seemed to come true when the World Boxing Association ordered Bivol to defend his light heavyweight belt against him, who had earned mandatory challenger status.