Dmitry Bivol waits for his big moment in the shadow of Canelo and Putin

Kyrgyzstan-born Russian boxer has been reduced to a ghostly figure in Las Vegas but remains quietly confident

There have been times this week when Dmitry Bivol, the unbeaten and outstanding WBA world light-heavyweight champion, has been reduced to a ghostly figure in Las Vegas. Saul Canelo" Alvarez, his challenger on Saturday night, dominates boxing and so the layered and complex life of Bivol has been ignored.

The 31-year-old Russian is regarded by many as simply the next opponent for the imperious Mexican. Canelo, the undisputed world super-middleweight champion, is jumping up to light-heavy to presumably dispatch Bivol before returning to his regular weight class in September to face his bitter rival Gennady Golovkin.