It was hard not to be excited and intrigued by the Artur Beterbiev-Oleksandr Gvozdyk IBF/WBC light heavyweight title unification bout when it was announced. And, unlike a lot that happens in the sport of boxing, the fight lived up to the promise and absolutely did not disappoint. Russia?s Beterbiev beat down a very game and skilled Ukrainian to unify the two titles and walk away a ?legitimate? light heavyweight main stage player when he had previously just been one in theory.
Meanwhile, Russian Sergey Kovalev, who holds the WBO 175 lb. title after having lost it, regained it, lost it, and regained it again over the course of twenty months, remains a top 3 figure in the division.
Then, there?s yet another Soviet Bloc fighter in Russia?s Dmitry Bivol, who carries with him the WBA version of the 175 lb. championship and is still well-regarded in the division despite some recent dull and/or lackluster performances.
Beyond the Soviet 4 at the very top of the light heavyweight division, there?s a recently (possibly) revitalized Jean Pascal, a Marcus Browne who is still smarting from a loss to Pascal, former titlist Eleider Alvarez, incoming former super middleweight titlist Gilberto Ramirez, Badou Jack, and a handful of other solid contenders and/or intriguing challengers.
But what does this have to do with Saul ?Canelo? Alvarez?
Absolutely nothing whatsoever?because Alvarez is NOT a light heavyweight and has no intention of becoming a light heavyweight competitor.
The 29-year-old Mexican superstar, however, WILL be fighting at 175 when he meets Kovalev for the WBO light heavyweight title on November 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Although a Kovalev bout will be intriguing for a lot of reasons, it?s not one that is particularly meaningful and certainly not one that boxing fans have been clamoring for.
Actually, Canelo-Kovalev pretty much came out of the blue when it was first announced, producing more than its fair share of ?WTF? reactions from fans and media. Frankly, Canelo-Kovalev is a ?thing? because Canelo willed it into being a ?thing.?
And it?s not like there wasn?t plenty still to do at middleweight for Canelo. There are at least a half-dozen opponents?including Gennady Golovkin, Demetrius Andrade, and Jermall Charlo?who would be more than acceptable for that November 2 date.
Canelo is coming up to 175 because he wanted a world title in a fourth weight class and Kovalev represented the biggest name for the most acceptable amount of risk (risk vs. reward). And he also came up to 175 because he?s Canelo and he CAN? and fans will watch it, DAZN has no choice but to greenlight it.
By fight night, most fans and media will embrace this fight, at least to some extent, and the contest, itself, is likely to provide some interesting highlight reel fodder. But, still, it?s meaningless in the big picture. Kovalev will get a high-profile payday. Canelo will get a legacy-filling four-division world champ designation. The pirate fish around Canelo will keep filling their bellies. Dedicated Canelo and Kovalev fans will have a fight party-friendly evening. That?s it.
What we?re getting on November 2 is a dinner of cotton candy and chocolate ice cream?superficially pleasing, but not at all healthy or nutritional. On November 3, the light heavyweight and middleweight divisions may be in worse shape for Canelo-Kovalev having taken place and for other, more important in-division fights having been ignored.
