When you look at the stat sheet, the “Mexican Monster” David Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) is a two-time WBC super-middleweight champion who was the number one contender for two years, but somehow the then undisputed 168-pound champion Canelo Alvarez never defended his crown against his mandatory.
David Benavidez was the WBC Interim champion, and he won two world title eliminators, but it still wasn’t enough, as Canelo managed to avoid facing him inside of the squared circle. During the course of his constant ducking of his mandatory, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman assisted Canelo by not ordering a Canelo vs Benavidez clash.
Back in May 2022, David Benavidez stopped David Lemieux in the 3rd round and won the vacant WBC Interim super-middleweight title. As a result of Benavidez’s dominant performance over Lemieux, the public demand for a Canelo vs Benavidez bout intensified.
Four months later, Canelo Alvarez treated the boxing public to the trilogy fight they didn’t ask for when he fought the declining 40-year-old Gennady “GGG” Golovkin. The third fight was a fight to forget, as boxing fans witnessed 36 minutes of boredom.
The best action took place at the post-fight press conference when media members were persistent, in regards to asking the David Benavidez question. Canelo Alvarez was visibly frustrated as he proceeded to give one final response.
“Guys, always I say this, you show that video and put whatever you want. When I say I don’t want to fight Mexicans is because I represent Mexico, but I don’t care, I fight anybody my entire life. Whether you think I don’t want to fight with one Mexican Benavidez, but look, I hear his dad talking a lot of sh*t, but look, he’s accomplished nothing, one single champion, Anthony Dirrell.”
After making this statement, Canelo went on to contradict himself by fighting John Ryder and Edgar Berlanga. Both Ryder and Berlanga are boxers who never won a world title. Canelo further contradicted himself when he said he doesn’t fight Mexican fighters because he represents Mexico, but then he agreed to fight Mexican boxer Jaime Munguia.
When it comes to facing David Benavidez, Canelo manufactures a lot of excuses as it relates to why he’s not fighting Benavidez. Canelo brought up the way Benavidez rehydrates on the night before a fight, but rehydration wasn’t an issue when Canelo packed the rehydration pounds on overnight to fight Amir Khan.
Canelo showed his hand and proved to the public that he was ducking Benavidez when he used the infamous ducking tactic known as pricing yourself out. Normally, Canelo receives approximately $30 million per fight, but during an interview with Fight Hub TV, Canelo stated he would agree to fight David Benavidez for $200 million.
It’s so hard to say a boxer is afraid of another person due to the fact that all boxers are true gladiators. So what is it? Why does Canelo refuse to fight David Benavidez?
The answer to this question may have finally been revealed during the epic clash between David Benavidez and David Morrell. During the course of the fight, you could hear the Benavidez fans chanting, “Mexico! Mexico!”
Canelo doesn’t have a problem with fighting a fellow Mexican because he fought Jaime Munguia. The question is, does Canelo fear accepting a fight against a Mexican who has a good chance of defeating him?
Iconic pro wrestler Ric Flair used to always say, “To be the man, you got to beat the man.” If David Benavidez defeated Canelo Alvarez he would be the man, and he would also become the face of Mexican boxing.
Back in May 2022, Canelo Alvarez lost by a unanimous decision to the defending WBA light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol. Alvarez’s brand wasn’t affected by the loss, and most importantly, he was able to mentally recover from the defeat.
With that being said, hypothetically speaking, would Canelo Alvarez be able to mentally recover if he lost to David Benavidez? A loss to Benavidez could do slight damage to Canelo’s status as the face of boxing, but it could do major damage in regards to Canelo’s status as the face of Mexican boxing.
Losing to Benavidez could result in Canelo losing his world titles and losing some members of his fan base. Canelo Alvarez vs David Benavidez is a mega fight we may never see because Benavidez is a risk that Canelo isn’t willing to take.
Inside the ring, David Benavidez’s hand speed and constant work rate are serious issues Canelo would have to deal with. These dangerous issues are the primary factors as to why Canelo will never take this fight.
Canelo Alvarez is a legendary future Hall of Famer who wants to leave the sport of boxing on his own terms. Suffering a loss to fellow Mexican David Benavidez could mentally affect Canelo, and it could possibly direct him towards having thoughts about retirement.
Some day, David Benavidez could become the face of Mexican boxing, but Canelo wants Benavidez to earn that distinction once he’s out of the sport. If David Benavidez becomes the face of Mexican boxing, Canelo wants him to inherit it because he’s retired, he doesn’t want Benavidez to take over the status due to the fact that he defeated him inside of the squared circle.
Last Updated on 02/08/2025