David Benavidez has not held back in accusing a superstar of the sport of cheating.
The two-weight world champion is currently gearing up for the first defence of his WBC Light-Heavyweight World Title, potentially against England’s Callum Smith, with a view to continue to star in huge main events.
Fights for him perhaps come no bigger than a clash with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, whom Benavidez has been chasing unsuccessfully for a number of years. In fact, the 28-year-old made the move to light-heayvweight after failing to secure the showdown at super-middle. His frustrations have become clearer as time goes on.
Speaking to Clocked and Loaded, Benavidez discussed his potential rival and said ‘of course’ Canelo – who tested positive for a banned substance back in 2018, though claimed this was due to meat contamination – is ‘dirty.’
“If Canelo was 100% confident in himself, I don’t know why he wouldn’t fight me. Especially since seeing that everybody is on his team is on steroids, including him – he never got off the steroids. Of course [he is]. How do five people out of your camp test positive for steroids? All those dudes in the camp are dirty.”
Reynoso’s stable is under fire following Jaime Munguia’s recent positive test for exogenous testosterone after his May 3 victory in Saudi Arabia.
The Voluntary Anti Doping Agency test has sparked widespread scrutiny not only of Munguia, but of the broader pattern surrounding Reynoso’s camp. Several other fighters linked with the trainer – including Canelo, Oscar Valdez, Julio César Martínez, and Ryan Garcia – have previously faced doping infractions. The likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Juan Manuel Márquez – and now Benavidez – have openly questioned the repeated issues under one roof.
Munguia’s team has denied any intentional wrongdoing, citing possible contamination, though his B Sample recently returned the same results. Canelo has defended Reynoso, emphasising that he plays no part in Munguia’s nutrition.
Canelo – who returns to the ring against Terence Crawford in September – recently said he does not want to give Benavidez a fight because of his disrespect. This latest accusation will not help matters.
