Canelo Alvarez suffered his first loss since 2013 on Saturday night, with Dmitriy Bivol wins by a clear decision on him At their main event in Las Vegas on DAZN pay-per-view.
Canelo (57-2-2, 39 KO) spoke in his post-match press conference, wasn’t very congratulatory because he was in the ring right after the fight, questioned the referees’ scoring, didn’t fully commit to an immediate rematch or what was to come next, which is something Fair given that the fight ended two hours ago.
Here’s a look at what Canelo had to say at the piston.
About the loss of Dmitriy Bivol
“Personally I feel good. I don’t make any excuses. I feel like I won the fight. I think maybe, maybe I lost four or five rounds, but I definitely didn’t lose the fight. I think I got a little tired from the final rounds, but I felt good. We’ll see. What’s next.”
“Maybe the weight was a minor issue, and I didn’t feel 100 percent during a fight. …I always look for tough fights. I went up and looking for this tough fight. Naturally, I feel good at 168, but I’m always ready to take on challenges.” This is boxing. Tonight I was looking for greatness.”
on scoring
“I think, like I said, I think he won four or five rounds max. I felt a little tired going into the final rounds. Maybe it was because of the fight. But on a personal level, I feel like I said, he only won four or five rounds.”
About what he would have done differently in the rematch
“We have to see. I will have to watch it again and work out what we are going to do differently.”
“It doesn’t end this way. I am a very competitive person, I have many years to come, and I will come back stronger.”
About what he feels missed the judges
“A lot of times I feel like judges are scoring things that they probably shouldn’t. For example, I was blocking shots and I was spinning punches, and I think that’s where the mistake might have been made.”
Whether he’s frustrated by Bevol’s power grab
“I think you should give credit to Bivol, he is a very tough fighter to hit the head area. You have to give him credit.”
on what’s on his mind
“I’m proud, I’m very proud, and I’m a very competitive person. I got up and fought at 175, got out of my comfort zone and fought with a weight that’s not mine. There’s nothing wrong with that. I look for challenges that others might be afraid to take because they might lose. That’s it. What I’m here for. Nobody wants to see fights where people know who’s going to win. It’s about those fights 50/50, and that’s what people want to see.”
About whether he was injured in combat
“no.”
On whether he thinks he can fight more in the 175th hour after the rematch from Bevol
“My most comfortable weight is 168, and that is where I feel the best. We will see if we can face this match again.”
Whether to keep coming back in September or take a break
“We’ll see what’s next, talk about it and let you know.”
About what he will do tomorrow
“Play golf, I think.”
On whether this loss hurts as much as Mayweather
“No, I don’t feel that way. I feel like I can walk out of this fight with my head held high. I gave my best in a different weight class. I’m looking for challenges in my career that get me out of my comfort zone. I’m proud and I feel good.”
On whether Bevol will be a defining contender for his career
“It could be.”
The judges should make it 4-0 after four rounds and lose seven of the next eight
“Does not make sense.”
To stay up against the ropes a lot in the fight
“I felt comfortable on the ropes. I was there and was able to take the shots and block them. I felt really comfortable there.”
On Team Bivol who wants to renegotiate terms in the rematch
“we will see.”
About fatigue in subsequent rounds
“Maybe it was (because of the weight). I don’t know.”
Whether this will make him a better fighter
“I always like to learn from things. Today I feel like I learned a lot, and I will show you this in the next fights.”
On whether he still felt Bevol was the right choice instead of Benavides or Charlo
“Yes. It is really important that I get out of my comfort zone and face these challenges in my career.”
Whether he felt late in the fight
“no.”