Despite the fact a full weight class now separates them, a potential match-up between Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez is still one of the most discussed in all of boxing.
Many in the sport believe Alvarez has been swerving a fight against the heavy-handed Benavidez, who was widely regarded as his toughest test at super middleweight.
Such was the Guadalajara man’s apparent reluctance to face him, ‘The Mexican Monster’ made the decision to move up to light heavyweight, scoring a decision win against former world champion, Oleksandr Gvozdyk in June.
Benavidez’ last outing at the 168lb limit came in November 2023, when he stopped Demetrius Andrade in six rounds at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.
And when Andrade was asked by Fight Hub TV how a fight between his recent foe and Canelo would play out, he was of little doubt of the outcome.
“Yeah, I don’t think Canelo’s beating David at all. I don’t blame him not to fight David. Canelo, stay away from David. Don’t do it!
“Listen, I’m taller and longer than Canelo and I don’t know if Canelo… that’s a big boy, man.
“You gotta really have the right skillset, the movement, IQ, sharpness to beat David.
“At 168, that’s how you have to be to beat him.
“Canelo’s smaller than me. I was able to push David around a few rounds, do what I had to do whatever, but that weight and his length – and he knows how to throw punches in bunches – it’s gonna be [a] hard task for Canelo.
“David’s not somebody who’s gonna let up on you either. Canelo’s not beating him.”
Though a grudge match between Alvarez and Benavidez is amongst the best to be made in the sport, it unfortunately now looks like it is doomed to never take place.
Little shoving brawl ensues at the Benavidez Morrell media workout.
Perhaps trying to send a message & set the tone against a talented, confident young guy in David Morrell.
Get Morrell into a war instead of Morrell trying to outbox him. #BenavidezMorrell pic.twitter.com/nUpLJEa5m5
— Sean Zittel (@Sean_Zittel) December 17, 2024
The Arizona native does return to the ring in a matter of weeks, however, as he defends his WBC interim title against Cuban dangerman David Morrell on February 1st at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with the winner all but guaranteed a shot at full world honours against the winner of the February 22 rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
Alvarez has long been linked to a blockbuster against Terence Crawford, however there does not seem to have been any movement on this in recent months.
