Canelo Alvarez Claims He “Pratically” Beat Floyd Mayweather While Addressing the Burning Question: Is He Ducking David Benavidez?

Why does Canelo Alvarez continue to sideline David Benavidez? Few have made sense of the choice of the Mexican champion to ignore ‘The Mexican Monster,’ who has held the interim crown for almost two years now. The demands of his fight with Benavidez are still high. So why don’t fans have their say? Is the super middleweight champion deliberately avoiding the fight? Alvarez finally breaks the silence.

Alvarez, 33, will face Jaime Munguia, 27, on May 4 for his annual Cinco de Mayo fight. However, the fans want him to face hard-hitting Benavidez, if not next, then at some point soon. Alvarez has received flak for his choice of opponent, but he believes that’s part and parcel of the game. What else does the Mexican champion have to say in his defense against the claims of “ducking” Benavidez?

Canelo Alvarez invokes his boxing history to strengthen his case

The 60-2-2 record holder explained his side of the story to Michael Benson. He pointed out the long history of fighting several big names and suggested he practically beat them all. While he defeated all the names on the list, he failed to conquer ‘Money,’ who handed him the first defeat of his professional career in 2013.

“Yeah it always happens – Erislandy Lara, Austin Trout, Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto, Gennady Golovkin, Daniel Jacobs, Callum Smith, Billy Joe Saunders. At the end of the day, I beat practically all of them,” Alvarez said.

Following this, the Guadalajara native expressed that even if he beat Benavidez, the question of him not facing some other boxer in the division would have popped up. Lastly, he stressed his boxing history and claimed he had done it all. He declared, “If I beat Benavidez, they’re gonna say, ‘Oh, why don’t you face this other guy?’ Look at my history, I’ve done everything in boxing. I’ve done it all.”

It’s highly doubtful that the demands of Alvarez fighting Benavidez will stop anytime soon. While some believe he has to fight Benavidez, others, including Julio Cesar Chavez, back Alvarez’s right to choose his opponent. But it remains to be seen whether Alvarez or Benavidez’s paths will ever cross or not. Tired of waiting, Benavidez has decided to chart his path and move up to the light heavyweight division.

Notably, Benavidez, at 28-0 with 24 KOs, will face Oleksandr Gvozdyk, at 20-1, next. The winner will have a shot at the winner of Dmitry Bivol vs. Artur Beterbiev. But that doesn’t spell the end of the demands of Alvarez vs. Benavidez. The latter is open to the possibility of coming down to 168 and fighting for his dream fight against Alvarez.

What do you make of this comment by Canelo Alvarez? Do you believe his legacy will be tainted if he doesn’t fight David Benavidez soon? Let us know in the comments below.

Also Read: Will Canelo Alvarez Return to Matchroom Boxing After Rumored PBC Split? Fans Share Their Opinions: “Golden Goose Back”