David Benavidez Names His Top 3 P4P Fighters in Boxing That Does Not Include Canelo Alvarez

It would be hard for many, especially those unfamiliar with boxing, to fathom that a term had to be devised to gauge the greatness of ‘Sugar’ Ray Robinson. But it had to be done to assess how arguably the greatest boxer of all time stood against some of the best Heavyweight boxers of the time. The Ring magazine has taken up the cudgels to share the annual list of the best pound-for-pound fighters worldwide. But outside of that, almost every fan and pundit has their favorite rankings. So do many of the boxers.

David Benavidez made no bones about sharing his opinion on who among the current crop of boxers topped his pound-for-pound great list. The WBC (interim) Super Middleweight champion is onto the next campaign. He needs to defend his title against former Middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade. Benavidez is the designated mandatory challenger to the undisputed champion, Canelo Alvarez. Hence, a win over ‘Boo Boo’ on November 25 would seal his credentials to get the fight he has been chasing for some time.

The boxing elites of David Benavidez

‘The Mexican Monster’ sat with Showtime’s Brian Custer for a tête-à-tête. Traversing through a range of subjects, which, by and large, centered on a fight with Canelo Alvarez, the duo converged on the rapid-fire questions. The Showtime presenter asked, “Uh, who do you believe…believe is [the] pound-for-pound best fighter in the world right now?” Without a moment’s hesitation, David Benavidez responded, “I got to give my top three: [Naoya] Inoue…Terence Crawford and [Oleksandr] Usyk.”

Custer asked Benavidez whether he genuinely believed that Alvarez was keen on a match with him. The unbeaten champion shared that he felt positive that the Mexican icon retained interest. He took David Morrell‘s name as the boxer, apart from himself, who could seriously threaten Canelo Alvarez’s throne. Then he replied, “Both,” when Brian Custer checked for the weight division at which he expected a world title—168 or 175 pounds.

The quest for legacy

Soon after he defeated Caleb Plant in March, ‘The Mexican Monster’ made a clean breast of his ambitions. He called out Canelo Alvarez. In subsequent months, his team even reached out to the undisputed champion with a hefty offer. But, unfortunately, it didn’t bear any fruit. Hence, in light of the developments, an announcement by the WBC on his candidacy as the mandatory challenger has raised some hopes.

However, it shouldn’t be forgotten that Canelo Alvarez need not oblige the mandatory challenge until March next year. Even after that, there’s no guarantee he would consent to a fight. He recently concluded the first fight of the $100 million PBC deal. Fans everywhere wait with bated breath to see who he faces in his next two bouts.

Read More: “He Talking Sh*t”: Preparing to Fight David Benavidez, Demetrius Andrade Fires Back at Canelo Alvarez for “50–50 Fight” Remarks

Do you agree with David Benavidez’s list of pound-for-pound best fighters of the current era? Please share your views with us in the comments below.

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