WBA TITLE RING UPSET: Dmitry Bivol, Russian light heavyweight champion stunned the boxing world

Intro: It happened in Las Vegas Saturday Night for Bivol who has held the World Boxing Association's light heavyweight title since 2017. . .So it was Álvarez who walked into T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Saturday night as the 5-1 favorite – but it was Bivol who walked out the winner.

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In a massive boxing upset, Dmitry Bivol takes out Canelo Álvarez

 

(Dmitry Bivol, left, throws a left at Canelo Álvarez in the fifth round of their WBA light heavyweight title fight in Las Vegas. Image Credit: Ethan Miller)

 May 8, 202211:09 AM ET

"Russian light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol stunned the boxing world Saturday night, winning by a unanimous decision against star Canelo Álvarez – only the second defeat of Álvarez's superlative professional career. 

Normally, the undefeated champion – Bivol, who has held the World Boxing Association's light heavyweight title since 2017 – would get top billing, the second boxer to enter the ring, the lead name on the poster.

But Álvarez, one of the sport's biggest draws, was no typical challenger. Before the match, he was ranked as the world's best boxer pound-for-pound by The Ring magazine. Last year, he was named the undisputed world champion at super middleweight...

Bivol, at 6 feet tall the naturally bigger athlete, spent the early rounds circling away from powerful strikes by the 5-foot-8 Álvarez. But Bivol then used his advantage in both height and reach to turn the tide and take the match by decision.

> All three judges scored the fight 115-113 for Bivol, handing Álvarez his first loss since 2013.

"I believed in myself, I believed I could win. I knew he had hard punches and would beat on my body, on my arm, and throw the left hooks," Bivol said in his post-match press conference.

After the fight, Álvarez said he was proud of himself for a tough fight outside his most comfortable weight class. . ."

READ MORE >> https://www.npr.org/2022/05/08/1097477551/dmitry-bivol-canelo-alvarez