The man fans want to see Saul ‘Canelo‘ Alvarez fight above all others is David Benavidez.
The formerly undisputed super-middleweight champion has shown little interest in the challenge posed by Benavidez, who occupied the WBC mandatory slot but wasn’t ordered a fight.
Canelo has put a price tag of $200 million on it and, despite Benavidez now moving up to light-heavyweight for the foreseeable, there is still hope it happens in the future.
Canelo has made that weight move himself on two occasions, first defeating Sergey Kovalev but then losing to current champion Dmitry Bivol.
Speaking to the press not long after his victory, Bivol was asked to compare his time in the ring with Canelo against his sparring sessions with Benavidez. On who hits harder, he told Snow Queen LA Canelo ‘puts more effort into his punches.’
“I don’t know [who wins] to be honest, they just have to get in the ring and fight. We will see then. Canelo puts more effort in his punches I would say. When it comes to defence, I’d say they are even. I’d again say [for speed] they are pretty much even.”
Also speaking on Canelo’s power at their post-fight press conference, Bivol said it was ‘really good’ but felt that it wasn’t the hardest in the 175 ranks.
“I felt his power. He has really good power. He has good speed, good power, good sense, but some people are born with the power. I don’t have that type of power. I can throw a power punch if I want to put the power into my punch, I can do it intentionally and some other boxers, they have power in every punch. They can just throw a punch and it’s already powerful. To be honest, as a light-heavyweight, I didn’t feel like he had that power that you get from birth, I felt like he was just putting everything he can into every punch and trying to make it powerful.”
Canelo has 39 knockouts in 61 wins, Benavidez has 24 in 29. Whilst the current champion perhaps has more brutal stoppages on his highlight reel, the sheer volume and relentlessness of Benavidez often gets him early finishes.
WBA Light-Heavyweight Champion Bivol has said his sparring with Benavidez was good work but has always reminded those asking that sessions in the gym are very different from fight nights.
Fans may get the chance to see the real thing – Benavidez is now mandatory for the winner of the undisputed bout between Bivol and Artur Beterbiev on October 12.
