Bitter Rivalry Aside, David Benavidez Sacrifices Pound-for-Pound Spot to Recognize Canelo Alvarez’s Greatness

Saul Canelo Alvarez is without a doubt the face of boxing for this generation. He faced some of the best fighters during his two decades as a professional boxer, and he has proven his mettle by winning against nearly all of them. The Mexican has nothing to prove to his fans. However, there is a potential match-up that boxing fans have been eagerly waiting for – Canelo Alvarez vs. David Benavidez.

The prospect of Benavidez facing Alvarez has been around for a while now. The WBC Interim Super Middleweight champion has even accused Canelo of actively ducking him. Nevertheless, during a podcast appearance, Benavidez put down all of his arsenal and acknowledged Alvarez’s reputation as one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters of all time. 

A long way to go for David Benavidez

Benavidez made an appearance on the Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru Usman & Henry Cejudo Podcast. The Arizona native was asked to name the top 5 pound-for-pound fighters in boxing at the moment. At first, Benavidez ranked the top 5 at random. Then, he put them in order from 1 to 5. He gave the #1 spot to the Japanese boxing sensation and two-time undisputed champion Naoya Inoue. He placed Ukrainian boxer, and the newly crowned undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk at #2.

Benavidez further added, “Three is Gervonta Davis, four is Canelo, and five Crawford. No, no, no, no Crawford is four and Canelo is five.” The 27-year-old was then asked by the former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman why he didn’t place himself on the list. 

Benavidez explained that he doesn’t feel that he has done enough to reach the pound-for-pound list yet. Benavidez said, “I think I’m a boxing fan at heart and I respect the titles. And until I become the world champion again or unify some champions, I don’t really believe I deserve to be on that list. Obviously, I’ve had great fights and I’m the next one that’s going to be on that list. But I don’t want anything given to me. I want to earn it.”

Well, there’s a long way to go for Benavidez to reach the P4P list. Although he acknowledged Canelo’s greatness by placing him on the list. However, he has also questioned Canelo’s legitimacy in the game. 

A fight with Canelo Alvarez for the top spot

Benavidez stands tall with his opinions and justifies his moniker ‘El Bandera Roja’. He has questioned Alvarez’s legitimacy in the sport and believes that he is not as good as people think. At the age of 33, Alvarez is already looking forward to his retirement plan. Benavidez realizes that the top spot is soon going to be empty. 

He was discussing Canelo’s spot as the best in the game in the ‘Million Dollarz Worth of Game’ podcast. Benavidez recalled the time Alvarez tested positive for clenbuterol after his first fight with Gennady Golovkin in 2017. Benavidez said, “He’s not as good as everybody thinks. Because the best one that fought Golovkin that first time was off clenbuterol. That’s the best Canelo I’ve ever seen and that’s why he looked so good coz he was off of clenbuterol.” 

In an attempt to bash Canelo’s legacy, Benavidez stated that, up until Alvarez’s first matchup against Golovkin, he believed this to be the best Canelo. Following that, he feels that Alvarez is not as talented as people think. Perhaps, ‘The Mexican Monster’ is constantly taking jabs at Canelo, in eagerness to face him soon. This would give him a shot at the top spot. However, only time will tell how it plays out for him.