Mike Tyson has called on Saul ‘Canelo‘ Alvarez to finally face David Benavidez in a super-middleweight match-up fans have been calling for.
Benavidez was the WBC mandatory for Canelo at 168lbs but after years of waiting for his shot the unbeaten ‘El Monstruo’ decided to move up to light-heavyweight for his latest outing and the foreseeable.
Speaking to Marca about the contest, Tyson accused Canelo of ‘lacking heart’ and and being ‘afraid’ of losing to his rival.
“What’s wrong with Canelo? Is he afraid of losing? Doesn’t he want to give the fans the fight they want to see? Don’t you want to give the fans the fight they want to see?
Do you not respect the legacy of the great Mexican champions who faced the best regardless of the money? This is a shame for boxing and for Mexico. If I were him, I would accept the fight with Benavidez and show the world that he is the best. But it seems he doesn’t have the courage to do it; It is a shame because he has a lot of talent but he lacks heart.”
In a separate interview Tyson doesn’t give Canelo too much chance in the fight and believes that Benavidez will easily beat all comers at 168.
“[Benavidez] is so underrated but so over-polarised here. Listen, I’d be afraid to fight him too if I was in that division. No one even has a chance against him, and I’m talking facts.”
Canelo is back in the ring on September 14 when he takes on unbeaten contender Edgar Berlanga in Las Vegas whilst Benavidez is expected out towards the end of the year to defend his interim title that will see him first in line for the winner of Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol.
