Negotiations over a potential fight between Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez are high on the agenda.
Alvarez is the undisputed super middleweight champion and will defend his title once again against Jaime Munguia in an all-Mexican weekend Cinco de Mayo showdown in Las Vegas on May 4th.
Munguia is certainly an attractive opponent who could make this fight a huge success, but Benavidez, Alvarez’s mandatory challenger in the WBC, has been patiently waiting in the wings for several years for his well-deserved opportunity.
A $55 million offer has been made to entertain Alvarez for a fight with Benavidez starting in 2022, and Benavidez recently claimed he would receive $5 million in return, but dealers say they’re not going to wake Alvarez up. I have not been able to satisfy my desire to do so.
Alvarez, the fifth highest-paid athlete in the world, according to Forbes, has been all about big business in recent weeks, saying it would cost between $150 million and $200 million to come up with the idea of fighting Benavidez. He said that he was deaf and told him what his thoughts were. Rivals brought him nothing but an extra 25 pounds on fight night. The history of the Alvarez vs. Benavidez fight favors Benavidez, who is six years younger, six inches taller, has a six-inch longer reach, and naturally looks taller, faster, and more explosive.
It was recently reported that Benavidez is willing to include a hydration clause in his contract to quell concerns about the 33-year-old Alvarez.
Alvarez sees no benefit in bullying Benavidez with the weight limit.
“Yes, (the hydration clause) is a no-lose situation, because after the fight they say, ‘That was because of that,'”
Alvarez said Thursday of the boxing scene from a training camp at his nearby home. said in an interview. Lake Tahoe, California. “So what? So what? Now let’s talk about this clause. If I beat him, they’ll blame it on the “I have nothing to do with this fight” clause.
Canelo Calls Benavidez Fight With Rehydration Clause A ‘Lose-Lose Situation,’ Looking For Bivol-Beterbiev Winner Insteadhttps://t.co/Xcz3oePJqZ
— BoxingScene.com (@boxingscene) April 12, 2024
Just as Ryan Garcia cited his 136-pound catchweight and 10-pound hydration clause as the main reasons for his loss to Gervonta Davis, Alvarez believes a win over Benavidez would set up a similar narrative. ing.
Alvarez is used to considering clauses in big fights.
When the young Alvarez faced Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013 and suffered the first loss of his career, Alvarez was the WBC and WBA 154-pound champion at the time, but had to fight at a catchweight of 152 pounds. I had to. Mayweather initially asked for the fight to take place at 147 and 150 pounds, then enforced the clause after settling on 152 pounds. Alvarez weighed 165 pounds on fight night, while Mayweather weighed 150 and a half pounds and fought at 150 pounds.
Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) has since become a four-division world champion, defeating some of boxing’s best in the process. The heaviest Alvarez has ever fought is 175 pounds, though he’s considering a shot at cruiserweight.
The Guadalajara native defeated Sergey Kovalev to win the light heavyweight title in 2019, but lost a unanimous decision to Dmitri Bivol in 2022. Alvarez said he is considering a rematch at 175 pounds to face the winner of the June 1st fight between Bivol and Artur Beterbiev, possibly in Saudi Arabia, which has a bankrupt salary. He’s looking for a big fight in return, and I’d be interested to see Alvarez increase that idea.
“There’s always the possibility of a rematch with Dmitriy Bivol.” Why not? I would love to have this fight,” Alvarez said. “I’m focused on this fight (against Munguia) at the moment. I fight battle after battle. But hey, if there’s something interesting for me at 175 pounds, why not do it? ”
The boxing world is eager for Alvarez to fight Benavidez, especially since all the opponents the four-division champion has faced during his run at 168 pounds since 2020 (Callum Smith, Billy Joe Saunders, Caleb Plant, This is his first time since defeating the likes of Gennady Golovkin, John Ryder, and Jermell. Charlo.
Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs) has earned a shot at Alvarez in just two fights in the division, most recently knocking out Ryder in January, while Alvarez was unable to do so last May.
Alvarez, who has said for years that he would not fight a fellow Mexican, even cited respect for Munguia as one of the reasons he won the fight, something Benavidez, an outspoken Mexican-American, did not show. .
Benavidez (26-0, 23 KOs) currently holds the 168-pound title twice, but lost the belt due to a mistake outside the ring and has fought in the division throughout his 11-year career. Coming off a stellar 2023 season that included wins over Demetrius Andrade and Plant, “The Mexican Monster” will face Alvarez’s former sparring partner and former light heavyweight titleholder Oleksandr Gvozdyk this summer at 175 pounds. Preparing for debut.
Benavidez’s most reliable and lucrative option remains at 168 pounds, and observers argue that Alvarez is avoiding Benavidez, especially after announcing the $200 million figure.
“You know, I made money fighting all the fighters, so I can do whatever I want during this time,” Alvarez said. “I deserve it because I’ve done everything in my career and deserve to be in this position. I’ll do what I want.”
Benavidez needs to move up to 175 pounds for his next fight, but he plans to move back up to 168 pounds. Benavidez seems to be chasing Alvarez’s shadow at every turn as he continues to solidify his position with each subsequent fight.
How will Alvarez respond to criticism that he is avoiding or avoiding the stubborn Benavidez?
“They’re not my fans.” These are my critics. And they always have something to say about me,” Alvarez said. “(Previously) it was Gennady Golovkin. It was Miguel Cotto. And now it’s Benavidez. As you can see from my resume, I have competed against everyone. That’s why I never say anything to these people because they will never understand. Because they see, but they don’t want to understand. That’s why I’m happy with my job and will continue to do it. ”
