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Dmitry Bivol has often been recognized for his exceptional skills in the ring. However, despite his own accolades and achievements, Bivol believes that the title of the best boxer in the world belongs to Terence "Bud" Crawford.
In 2022, Bivol was honored with the Fighter of the Year award following impressive victories over Canelo Alvarez and Gilberto Ramirez. Despite this early success, Bivol's momentum seemed to wane in 2023, with only one fight—a unanimous decision win against Lyndon Arthur on December 23rd—under his belt for the year.
“When I stepped into a boxing gym, the first rule was to respect weight classes. But I don't know what [Crawford is] going to eat,” Bivol said. “He's the best fighter. Everything that he's planning, shouldn't look like it's crazy. If he's thinking about it, if he's talking about it, it means it's possible.”
The first half of 2023 saw Bivol pursuing a rematch with Canelo Alvarez, but this endeavor did not come to fruition. Alvarez, opting for a three-fight deal with PBC, opened the door for potential matchups with other top fighters, including Crawford.
Both Alvarez and Crawford have shown interest in facing each other, despite the significant weight difference. For Crawford, this would mean moving up three weight classes to challenge Alvarez, who currently holds a record of 60-2-2 with 39 knockouts, while Crawford boasts an undefeated record of 40-0 with 31 knockouts.