Saul ‘Canelo‘ Alvarez versus David Benavidez is undoubtedly one of the most sought-after fights in the sport of boxing.
Alvarez has sat atop the super-middleweight division for some time now, collecting all four belts and defending them on four occasions before being stripped of the IBF title for not facing his mandatory challenger.
Another man fans feel he has avoided, albeit for different reasons, is Benavidez, who has done more than anyone to deserve his shot. Canelo has shown little interest though, claiming Benavidez brings nothing to the table other than ‘an extra 25 pounds on fight night.’ To take the bout, he says he needs around $200 million on the table.
Despite claiming that a win wouldn’t add to his legacy, some feel Canelo is shying away due to the problems Benavidez could present.
Speaking to FightHype, former heavyweight contender turned trainer Malik Scott said he was ‘absolutey’ backing the younger man should the fight happen.
“I look at certain fighters and they remind me of, and I say this with all due respect, some gangster cartel s**t . That’s what Benavidez reminds me of, and I heard that they [Canelo and Benavidez] used to box each other and it was beautiful. Do you know what I would have done if I saw them in the gym together, sparring each other? I would get my notepad out and I would sit there, with tonnes of humility, and take notes.
“I would most definitely love to see Canelo fight Benavidez, but that may be something that has the Joshua-Wilder effect too, the Riddick Bowe-Lennox Lewis effect, a great fight that may not happen. In my opinion [because of Canelo].
“Absolutely [I favour Benavidez]. S**t yeah. I would go with Benavidez in that fight, but I love Canelo, I love what he’s doing.”
Having grown tired of waiting for a shot at Canelo’s super-middleweight belts, Benavidez recently moved up a division to make his debut at light-heavyweight. He now holds the WBC Interim Title and believes that gaining titles at 175 may be the only way to entice his rival into the ring.
