Just two more days and Canelo Alvarez will fight his 66th professional bout. He will meet Edgar Berlanga to defend his unified titles. Many fans might feel they know a thing or two about the outcome. Nevertheless, that hasn’t dampened the hype. The buildup remains intense. Perhaps one of the key ingredients that may have helped in retaining fans’ enthusiasm could be the undercard. The show offers a series of exciting matchups to give fans that edge-of-the-seat experience. So overall, the narrative might appear settled.

But a few, however, seem unable to bury some past issues. The lead-up to the Berlanga fight witnessed a discourse that lingered for a considerable period. Fans across the board have been anticipating a clash with David Benavidez. But the matchup never materialized. Many held Canelo Alvarez responsible, criticizing him for not fighting the WBC mandatory. On his part, the super middleweight champion has made his stand clear. But the question appears to persist. Ahead of the square-off against Berlanga, Alvarez found himself fencing the Benavidez question. Though he responded, however, as it happened in the past, it didn’t please some of the fans who wasted no time pouring their hearts out in the comments box.

I can, but conditions are applicable.

‘Boxing News Plus’ shared some footage; it featured Canelo Alvarez speaking with a bunch of reporters. The talks centered on the upcoming bout. Speaking about his preparation, Alvarez played down any chances of ‘The Chosen One’ scoring a surprise win. He shared his views on the Noche UFC and talked about his support for all the Mexican fighters. Then it was time for the million-dollar query. A reporter tried to understand the motivation for the decision Alvarez took in his career, especially regarding potential opponents like David Benavidez and whether his mindset toward difficult fights has undergone any change given where he stands today.

“No, you know, I always fight everybody, and I, uh, I have legendary fights,” replied Canelo Alvarez. Fighting figures like Miguel Cotto or Gennady Golovkin helped him build an enviable legacy. However, the same may not be true in the case of David Benavidez. Fans and media would invariably bring up another challenge even if he beat Benavidez; Alvarez insisted.

Hence, the only way he could change his mind would be a financial consideration. “Like I say, if the money is right in that in that special fight, I mean, because you know he doesn’t bring me a legacy; he doesn’t bring me anything, so if the money is right, I’m in,” said Alvarez.

Canelo Alvarez: Selective Legacy?

As much as the champion made his stand clear, some of the fans weren’t willing to buy it either. Let’s check what a few of them had to say.

This fan appeared frustrated. Trying to understand Alvarez’s logic, they probably wanted to understand the sort of legacy the Berlanga fight offered. Something that David Benavidez wasn’t capable of. “Every single boxing fan wants and has been begging to see the Benavidez fight, and now, according to Canelo, Berlanga is supposed to be a legacy-defining fight.”

While clearly stating their admiration for Alvarez, the next fan also seemed certain that he wasn’t interested in fighting Benavidez. They said, “I like Canelo, but it’s clear to see… he doesn’t want to fight him.” The following fan stated matter-of-factly that perhaps foreseeing how the Benavidez could end unfavorably, the Mexican superstar isn’t really comfortable with the idea: “He brings fear into you.”

The next user finds the explanation ridiculous. Calling out his apparent inconsistency, they believe it’s high time Alvarez admitted he doesn’t want to confront Benavidez. “😂Man, this dude constantly contradicts himself. Just say you’re scared,” the user said.

However, the following fan held a different view. According to them, Alvarez might be following Floyd Mayweather Jr.‘s example. They expressed hope that the Benavidez fight would come to fruition one day. However, there’s a high chance Alvarez could be looking at fights from a business perspective. The super middleweight champion stood his ground against someone like Dmitry Bivol. So he could definitely take on ‘The Mexican Monster’ as well, they reasoned. The fan said, “I don’t think Canelo is scared; he’s just thinking more business-minded. That’s what Floyd did. If Canelo can handle Bivol’s punches for 12 rounds, he can handle [Benavidez]. The fights are going to heat up.”

Clearly, an upset lot, who are more than eager to see a fight most believe could be a pathbreaking one in boxing history.

Yes, there’s some logic in the point—why would Canelo Alvarez not fight the WBC mandatory but take on the WBA one? However, to insinuate that he is avoiding David Benavidez might be a bit far-fetched. For a man who started boxing at a young age and has already spent nearly two decades in professional boxing, being afraid of another champion sounds quite unlikely. At the level where he stands today, Alvarez and his team must have carefully weighed which fight might benefit him more, especially when he is walking towards the twilight years of his career.

What is your take? Do you also believe that Alvarez might be genuinely ducking Benavidez?