David Benavidez believes Canelo Alvarez’s decision to leave Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions shows his lack of desire to fight him.
Undisputed super middleweight champion, Canelo reportedly left PBC earlier this week, one fight into a three-fight deal, which many believed would conclude with a long-awaited showdown with Benavidez, one of the biggest fights to be made in boxing.
Benavidez’s promoter Sampson Lewkowicz claimed that Alvarez was offered $55m to face the unbeaten 27-year-old, although the Mexican’s trainer and manager, Eddy Reynoso denied this.
The 33-year-old now looks set to rejoin Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing – who have promoted six of his last eight bouts – reportedly for fights against Jaime Munguia and Edgar Berlanga.
Benavidez says the four-weight world champion has made plenty of excuses to avoid a bout with him.
Premier Boxing Champions
“If Canelo wanted to fight me,” Benavidez told Tha Boxing Voice.
“He knows it’s the most lucrative fight to be made right now.
“If he really wanted to make all that f***ing money, the fight would have been made.
“There’s excuse, after excuse, after excuse.
“He doesn’t want to fight.
“I’m tired of speaking about Canelo.
“I did my job. He said that I needed more big victories on my resume.
“I got two big victories. [They were] great f***ing fights. I’m doing what I’m supposed to do and it’s just he doesn’t want to fight.”
‘The Mexican Monster’ is now set to move up to light heavyweight with the WBC approving an interim title fight between him and Oleksandr Gvozdyk, whose only defeat came in a tenth round stoppage loss to unified light heavyweight champion, Artur Beterbiev.
Gvozdyk is managed by Reynoso, leading to questions marks over why the Mexican trainer is willing to match the Ukrainian with the two-time super middleweight champion, but not Alvarez.
“I didn’t know that at all,” the Phoenix man revealed.
“I seen that he was training with Canelo’s team, but that’s the only thing I know about that.
“But like I said, if I can’t get to Canelo, I’m going to beat up everyone in his team.
“We did [Ronald] Ellis and now we’re going to do Oleksandr.”
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Alvarez reportedly parted company with PBC after failing to agree terms for a May 4 fight against Jermall Charlo, who would have moved up in weight.
Canelo already handily outscored his twin brother Jermell Charlo, who went up two weight classes and according to boxing insider Dan Rafael, Haymon was not prepared to meet Alvarez’s financial guarantee of at least $35m, unless he fought Benavidez in September, despite this not being in the contract.
According to Rafael, Benavidez was not part of the three-fight agreement and rather the third bout on the deal was against former unified welterweight champion, Errol Spence Jr.
