Benavidez: Canelo Fight Possible At 175 Pounds
David Benavidez says a fight with Canelo Alvarez is still possible at 175 pounds if he becomes undisputed.
Benavidez is the WBC Interim Light Heavyweight Champion after beating Oleksandr Gvozdyk in his first fight at the weight class. That made him mandatory for the winner of Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol, who fight for the Undisputed Light Heavyweight Championship on October 12. Benavidez moved up to 175 pounds after he failed to secure the Canelo Alvarez fight at super middleweight.
The Mexican Monster had been the WBC Interim Super Middleweight Champion for over two years. However, the WBC did not call the mandatory, and Canelo did not appear keen on taking it. Alvarez demanded $200 million for that fight, which was seen as a way to price himself out. The fight also no longer made sense at 168 pounds since Canelo is not undisputed.
Benavidez On Canelo
He failed to face his IBF mandatory William Scull and chose to take on Edgar Berlanga instead. The decision meant that the IBF stripped him. However, Canelo has indicated his desire to rematch Bivol if the Russian beats Beterbiev. That would set up a rematch for undisputed. However, given that Benavidez is also in line for that, the Mexican Monster can see a scenario where he takes on Canelo.
“Canelo says I can’t offer him anything. I think Canelo is a great fighter. I believe in myself, and I believe I beat the [stuffing] out of him. Now, if I have all four major titles at 175, in my head, that’s the only way that fight is going to happen.
“I’m already in line to fight for all four belts at 175 against the winner of Beterbiev against Bivol. If I win all four belts, it would be a great fight [against Canelo]. Maybe we could do a catchweight. He could do the 168-lb belts, and I could put the 175-lb belts. So, we could fight together, and the winner takes all,” Benavidez said
Will It Happen?
Nevertheless, that is unlikely to happen. Canelo has repeatedly said that he does not need to fight the Mexican Monster, given that he has already accomplished a lot in the sport. Alvarez is also in a position where he is making big purses without taking the biggest risks. The fight against Berlanga demonstrated that. It sold 650,000 PPV views, with each one being priced at $89.99.
The event also brought in a live gate of $17 million, with reports that Canelo made around $35 million. Canelo is only likely to take on challenges that he believes he can win and that will define his legacy. Alvarez was clear that he had a hand issue before the Bivol bout after which he underwent surgery. While Benavidez is desperate to secure that fight, perhaps his time would be better by creating his own legacy. Winning all the belts at 175 would be a big step in doing that, and it would not require Canelo.
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