De La Hoya: Bivol is Particular; Zurdo Froze within the Huge Second

Oscar De La Hoya believes Dmitry Bivol is a part of a extremely rarefied group of fighters.

The Golden Boy head couldn’t assist however be impressed with Bivol after the Russian champion dominated his cost, Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez, over 12 rounds to win a unanimous resolution of their mild heavyweight title bout in November in Abu Dhabi.

The win adopted on the heels of Bivol’s banner victory over Canelo Alvarez in Could. Bivol gained that, too, by way of unanimous resolution in a 175-pound title contest.

“He’s particular, yeah, he’s particular,” De La Hoya stated of Bivol in a latest interview with FightHype.com.

De La Hoya thinks Ramirez “froze” of their battle, and that the stress of the second presumably made the previous 168-pound titlist extra timid than typical. Certainly, regardless of showing to be the larger fighter and having a popularity for breaking down his opponents, Ramirez typically discovered himself on the again foot, with the faster Bivol urgent the motion.

“I feel what occurred was that Zurdo … I feel it was an enormous second, on the large stage, in opposition to an awesome fighter,” De La Hoya continued. “Presumably froze within the battle.

“However Bivol, fingers all the way down to him. He’s gotta be among the best fighters on the market, pound for pound.”

Bivol, who’s promoted by World of Boxing and Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom, is anticipated to return to the ring within the spring however it’s not clear who his opponent will probably be. Alvarez has insisted that he desires one other crack at Bivol, however that match-up, if it will get made, seemingly won’t happen till late 2023, as Alvarez just lately underwent surgical procedure on his left wrist. The Mexican celebrity and undisputed 168-pound champion is anticipated to battle in a tune-up bout within the spring.

Bivol, however, has repeatedly made it clear that an Alvarez rematch will not be excessive on his checklist of priorities. Bivol stated he would a lot quite battle the winner of the WBO, WBC, and IBF 175-pound title bout between champion Artur Beterbiev and Anthony Yarde, which is slated for Jan. 28 in London.