The boxing world is eagerly anticipating the next opponent for the undisputed super middleweight champion, Canelo Alvarez, following his May 6th bout against John Ryder. Moreover, there has been no shortage of speculation as to who it might be. One name that has been mentioned repeatedly is former two-time WBC super middleweight champion, David Benavidez.
Benavidez is recently coming off an emphatic victory over former IBF champion Caleb Plant. However, he has his sights set on his fellow countryman and is looking for a title shot to capture all the super middleweight titles. Many prominent personalities have touted this as a very close fight with both boxers having elite-level skill sets. Despite this, Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe thinks that ‘The Mexican Monster’ will have a hard time against Alvarez if they meet in the ring.
Leonard Ellerbe gives his take on Canelo Alvarez vs David Benavidez
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In a recent interview with FightHype, Ellerbe was dismissive of Benavidez’s chances against Alvarez. He claimed that it would be a tough fight for the undefeated boxer with Alvarez having the upper hand. However, he did tout Benavidez as a potential threat to Alvarez.
“That’s a tough fight. It’s a tough fight because people just look, they look at this matchup but it’s styles that make the fights. And Canelo does a lot of things really well inside the ring, and he’ll get up for a fight like that, he’ll really, really get up. But Benavidez is the real deal, I mean, I love him as a fighter,” he said.
This fight is one that fans have been waiting for and with Plant now swiftly out of the way, this fight is getting closer to getting booked.
Eddie Hearn reveals when Alvarez vs Benavidez might take place
Canelo Alvarez’s promoter Eddie Hearn has recently shed light on when the fight might take place. In an appearance on Boxing with Chris Mannix, the British promoter claimed that the fight might not take place until 2024. According to him, Alvarez is currently focused on avenging his loss to Dmitry Bivol and would like to face the Russian first. He also added that Benavidez’s new contract has some scheduled fights he needs to compete in first.
“All I can tell you from being around those guys and the team, they would have no problems fighting Benavidez. I also heard that Benavidez signed a three-fight deal with PBC to fight Plant, David Morrell, and Charlo. I don’t know how tired up he is in that respect, but I think it would lend itself well with a potential Cinco de Mayo fight in 2024. He’s [Canelo] got John Ryder and Dmitry Bivol [in 2023],” said Hearn.
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The prospect of this fight is certainly an intriguing one, and there’s no denying that both fighters are elite. Ultimately, whether or not the two will ever step into the ring remains to be seen. However, one thing is certain, if the fight does happen, it’s sure to be a thrilling showdown between two of the best fighters in the sport today.
Read More: Canelo Alvarez Losses: Why Dmitry Bivol Haunts Him More Than Floyd Mayweather
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What did you think about Ellerbe’s take on this super fight? Who do you see winning? Let us know in the comments section below.
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