David Benavidez wants nothing more in the sport of boxing than a shot at Saul ‘Canelo‘ Alvarez.
Formerly a two-time champion in the 168 ranks, Benavidez is now without a belt but remains undefeated and has been steadily fighting his way into the Mexican’s sights.
Canelo has held all four belts in the division since 2021 but has so far shown little interest in the Benavidez defence despite most fans and pundits believing it to be the best fight to make in the weight class and perhaps one of the best in the sport entire.
In an interview with ES News, Benavidez recalled the time he almost made it in the ring with Canelo, albeit for a sparring session.
“I’ve sparred with everyone, but the only fighter I haven’t sparred with is Canelo. I was on my way to spar with him, I was in Big Bear.”
Benavidez was in Big Bear, California at The Summit Gym built by trainer Abel Sanchez’ own hands, where he was an integral sparring partner in the camp of Gennady Golovkin – sessions he would later say helped shape him as a fighter.
It was weeks before the Kazakh fighter would step through the ropes with Canelo – the first of three instalments – and that’s precisely the reason that the Mexican’s team turned down the work with Benavidez.
“That was in 2017. I was sparring with Golovkin, and then I was going to go spar with Canelo, but then, somebody from his camp called me and said no, they wanted to cancel it, because they didn’t want us to go with him, and then take their secrets to Golovkin.”
Canelo and Golovkin would controversially draw that first bout with many feeling the result unfair to ‘GGG’. Canelo took the rematch, again a close affair, before winning the trilogy years later much more convincingly.
Had Benavidez been allowed into camp that year the sparring session would have been one of the most-discussed in boxing given what’s happened since.
He is now battering the door down for a fight against the undisputed champion and looks likely to enforce his mandatory position with the WBC to make the sanctioning body act on his behalf.
