Canelo Beats Benavidez – ‘Canelo Has Done It Against Everybody’
Canelo Alvarez has been backed to beat David Benavidez if a fight can be made.
That is according to trainer Abel Sanchez. Sanchez is well aware of Canelo as he has been in GGG’s corner for two of the three fights against the Mexican. GGG arguably won the first fight despite it being declared a draw. The rematch went Canelo’s way, as Sanchez would later stop working with GGG. Canelo’s win arguably solidified his status as one of the best fighters, having beaten his biggest rival. Benavidez is now seen as the next threat.
The Mexican Monster was the WBC Interim Super Middleweight Champion for over two years. The fight never got made as Benavidez moved up to 175. Canelo requested $200 million for that fight, raising suggestions that Canelo was pricing himself out. There is still hope that the fight will happen if the Saudis put up the money. It would be a contrast of styles.
Sanchez On Canelo
Canelo has much more experience at the highest level, having only lost to Floyd Mayweather and Dmitry Bivol. Those fighters outboxed him, but Canelo has never looked like being stopped in his career. Benavidez may be undefeated, but he struggled to hurt Oleksandr Gvozdyk in his first fight at 175. Although Benavidez said he hurt his hand, Gvozdyk was 37, resulting in Canelo criticizing the performance. Sanchez backed Canelo to come out on top.
“That’s how I see it. Canelo has done it against everybody that has been put in front of him. Guys in their prime, not guys who were old. I don’t think [Benavidez] would wear down Canelo if Bivol, the best guy technically in the world right now couldn’t do it, yes he beat him, but just as a bigger man. If David [had one more god win] I’d be more of a believer. But Canelo has big fight experience, big fight performances, all those things come into play in that match up,” Sanchez said
However, the longer Canelo leaves the fight, the more difficult it may be to secure the win. Benavidez will gain more experience once he has more fights. He is the current WBC Interim Light Heavyweight Champion, meaning he is the mandatory for the winner of Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol.
Plant Reacts
Beterbiev and Bivol will fight on October 12 for undisputed. A win over any of them gives Benavidez the biggest victory of his career and the high-level experience needed to face someone like Canelo. But if Canelo does not face Benavidez, there will be an asterisk over his legacy in ducking the biggest threat to his career. Caleb Plant, who has faced both, felt the fight was eventually matched.
“When it’s big fights like that it’s hard for me to just say ‘oh this guy will win or that guy will win’, because if Canelo got in there and won, if he stopped David, if he caught him with a big shot or was able to get on him or just win and get his hand raised, you know you couldn’t say that you’d be extremely surprised. And David with his ability, if he was able to get in there and get the job done, I wouldn’t be surprised either,” Plant revealed
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