For David Benavidez, Canelo Alvarez’s name is both a blessing and a curse. What started off feeling like flat-out rejection has, in a way, fueled his rise. Fast forward to now? Benavidez holds the WBC and WBA Regular light heavyweight titles—belts he chased after being snubbed for a shot at Canelo in the super middleweight division. Why the snub? The future Hall of Famer openly criticized Benavidez’s résumé, downplaying his credentials. And if that wasn’t enough salt on the wound, just last month, Canelo Alvarez took a jab saying, “The way he talks, he thinks he’s Superman.”

But here’s where things really start to heat up. After being overlooked in the super middleweight scene, Benavidez is now watching Canelo Alvarez entertain a potential clash with Terence Crawford, a fighter coming up in weight. From Benavidez’s view? That’s a slap in the face. And let’s be real—if you were passed over, only to see someone smaller than you get the green light? You’d feel some type of way too, right?

So, in a podcast with Jake Paul last month, Benavidez didn’t hold back. He aired it all out — the frustration, the logic, and where he sees this all going. Especially with Canelo Alvarez set to fight William Scull on May 3rd in Riyadh, Benavidez is watching closely. Because if Canelo Alvarez wins, the stage could be set for Crawford, not him, to step in next. So, when Jake Paul threw out the obvious question: “Who do you think wins that fight, though?” David Benavidez kept it real.

“To be honest with you, it’s like I wouldn’t be surprised if Crawford wins,” he told The Problem Child in a rare endorsement of the Omaha native. But it looks like he also gave his flowers to the Mexican Champion. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if he loses either,” he added. However, he went on to say, “I think Crawford is a tremendous fighter. He has a great IQ in boxing.” But then he brings up the elephant in the room. “The weight difference is just, it’s too massive,” the 28-year-old emphasized.

Further pointing at Bud Crawford’s last decision win against Israil Madrimov, ‘Bandera Roja’ stated, “He didn’t really look as strong at 154. So, he’s still going to go up two weight classes, 160 and 168. So, I think that just tells everything.”

After the Crawford-Canelo talks, Benavidez shifted gears and started talking about the fight he wanted. According to him, this potential superfight between him and Canelo could go down as one of the greatest in Mexican boxing history. And this, in his opinion, is being delayed. Not because the fans don’t want it, but because, in his eyes, Canelo Alvarez’s not giving the people what they want. “At the end of the day, that’s really who matters, the people,” the 30-0 boxer explained. So what’s Benavidez’s plan?

Simple. “I just got to keep winning.” He’s got his eyes set on moving up to 175 lbs and unifying the belts. He believes that if he could dominate there, Canelo Alvarez won’t be able to ignore him anymore. That’s the bait he’s banking on. In the end, talking about his dream matchup, he lamented, “We’re missing out on a lot of years. And we got to get this fight to the people now.” While David Benavidez clearly respects Terence Crawford now, that admiration wasn’t always there. Why?

Canelo Alvarez prioritizes payday over legacy fights

A few weeks ago, David Benavidez sat down with Mystic Zach and really opened up about how he’s feeling lately. He’s baffled that his name never seems to come up when people talk about who Canelo Alvarez might fight next. Especially when names like Jake Paul are even being tossed around. “I feel like my name isn’t mentioned because I’m the most dangerous fighter out there, but for the least amount of money,” Benavidez said. That, he believed, was the real reason he kept getting overlooked.

Benavidez didn’t just vent. He reflected on how boxing has changed. “Now all these fighters, I feel like they see everything as a business move, which it wasn’t like that back then,” he lamented. And when it comes to him vs Canelo Alvarez, the Phoenix native made his stance clear.

“It’d be the best fight on in boxing, you know, would give the fans. A lot of fireworks with that fight,” he said. “But Canelo, he wanted to do he wanted to go different route you know. He wanted to fight somebody that’s coming up from 147, and smaller guy.” He didn’t disrespect Crawford, but he did say the fight would’ve made more sense if it were against someone in Canelo’s own weight class.

Funny enough, that was Canelo Alvarez’s excuse for not fighting Crawford before—until the Saudis came in with big money. Anyway, now, instead of chasing ghosts, Benavidez is locking in a new fight with Callum Smith. He’s focused, he’s motivated, and he’s moving on.

Do you think Canelo is avoiding David Benavidez on purpose, or is it just business? Would a Canelo vs. Benavidez fight be better than Canelo vs. Crawford? Do share your thoughts with us below.