Dmitry Bivol: I thought maybe I lost after hearing 115-113

LAS VEGAS – Dmitry Bivol was worried he lost the fight.

The WBA light heavyweight champion admitted he was shocked when the scorecards were read for Saturday’s bout against Canelo Alvarez at T-Mobile Arena.

While most ringside observers had scored the bout either 118-110 or 117-111 for the champion, when Bivol heard “115-113,” there was a genuine feeling of apprehension.

“[I was a little bit concerned] when I heard the [score] 115-113, I thought, ‘Maybe I lost today,’ but I felt I won, you know? But, I [expected questionable scorecards].”

But rather than being spiteful, Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs) used the opportunity to land a joke.

“Everything against me today. Even Eddie [Hearn] (who promotes Canelo); he [congratulated] me, smiling [at me]. He’s happy for me, but [not that] happy for me, but not [that much] happy for me, you know?” he laughed.

Alvarez (57-2-2, 39 KOs), who still holds the undisputed crown at 168-pounds, was fighting at light heavyweight for the second time in his career. His first bout took place in November 2019, when he knocked out Sergey Kovalev in the 11th round to claim the WBO world title.

However, at the post-fight press conference, 31-year-old Alvarez suggested that he gassed in the late rounds because he is not a natural 175-pounder, despite claiming he won the fight.

“Four or five rounds, I feel like [Bivol] won [at] maximum. I felt a little bit fatigued going into those final rounds. Perhaps it was because of the weight, but you know, I personally feel, as I said, he only won four or five rounds.”

There is an immediate rematch clause, which Alvarez has not officially exercised. He was scheduled to face Gennadiy Golovkin in a trilogy bout on September 17 for the undisputed super middleweight titles with a win over Bivol. However, that plan is on hold until Canelo decides on his future.

When asked what Bivol would do differently in a rematch, he isn’t sure, given that nothing is officially on the table.

“To be honest, I don’t know. I don’t have a rematch yet. I don’t even know what I will eat today or what I will do tomorrow,” he laughed.