Bivol's team thinks Canelo only used his name to tease the fans for a rematch

A representative for Dmitry Bivol always felt Canelo Alvarez was simply using his charge’s name for clout.

The WBA light heavyweight titlist from Russia was expected to fight Alvarez in a rematch this fall, but the two sides were unable to come to an agreement on a deal.

Bivol’s chief handler, veteran manager Vadim Kornilov, denounced Alvarez last month, for trying to offer his client the “same terms” as the first fight, even though Bivol was the victor. Bivol defeated Alvarez by unanimous decision last year in a 175-pound contest for Bivol's WBA belt.

After Bivol’s team balked at his demands, Alvarez quickly turned his attention elsewhere. He briefly flirted with the idea of fighting cruiserweight titlist Badou Jack, before agreeing to a multi-bout contract with Premier Boxing Champions. That union effectively signaled the end of Alvarez’s relationship with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, which had promoted the majority of the Mexican superstar’s fights for the past several years.

Kornilov believes Alvarez was simply stringing them along, mentioning Bivol's name at every pass, to curry favor with the public.

“As I have said before, Canelo talking about the Bivol rematch was always just a front for the fans to believe,” Kornilov told the media.

On Friday, Alvarez announced he would be taking on undisputed 154-pound champion Jermell Charlo on Sept. 30 in Las Vegas.