Dmitry Bivol is Saul Alvarez's toughest opponent since Floyd Mayweather, boxing promoter Eddie Hearn says

• Dmitry Bivol is Canelo's toughest opponent since Floyd Mayweather in 2013.
• That's according to Eddie Hearn who helped organize Saturday's event in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS — Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez returns to the ring Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and it will be one of the toughest bouts of his 60-fight career, a leading boxing promoter told Insider.

Canelo's moves in the combat sports industry have already attracted the praise of his peers, with Muhammad Ali's grandson Nico Ali Walsh lauding him as an all-time great fighter already.

That career has seen him run through a gauntlet — beating Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Daniel Jacobs, Sergey Kovalev, Callum Smith, and Caleb Plant.

Back in 2013, Alvarez — aged just 23 at the time — challenged Floyd Mayweather but was comfortably defeated over 12 rounds. He's since drawn, then beaten, Gennadiy Golovkin in results that remain disputed to this day.

Alvarez fights Dmitry Bivol — the WBA light heavyweight world champion — Saturday. Ahead of the fight, Insider asked the event's organizer, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport, whether the Russian boxer is Canelo's hardest opponent in almost 10 years.

"I actually do [think that]," Hearn told Insider from his suite at the MGM Grand earlier this week. "And I think that it's one of those opponents that people kind of overlook because of the quality of Canelo Alvarez.

"Everyone in boxing knows that this guy is a real deal," he said, regarding Bivol, an undefeated light heavyweight ruler who is renowned for his footwork, speed, and authoritative jab.

"This guy is probably the best 175-pounder out there. Definitely the freshest. He has never been hurt and could be in a position where he has the ability and technique to cause Canelo Alvarez serious problems."

Canelo 'could stop' Bivol

For Hearn, though, Canelo's confidence is a level beyond even the most established prizefighters in the game. "He thinks he's completely unbeatable."

He added: "Canelo, in my opinion, has to start fast which he doesn't really do, but he mustn't do what he did in the Kovalev fight which was to wait — and then get sort of dominated by a bigger man.

"But the difference is Bivol is so much fresher than Kovalev. Bivol's never had a tough fight. He's so undamaged whereas Kovalev lived badly, you know, and he got bashed up a couple of times.

"So Canelo's got to walk him down early and he's got to hurt him early, and if he does that, I think he could stop him. And that would be a hell of a statement."

The Canelo vs. Bivol event, which is marketed with the strapline "Legacy is earned," airs on DAZN pay-per-view.