3 Things That Could Go Horribly Wrong if Canelo Alvarez Gets $200 Million to Fight David Benavidez

Canelo Alvarez has put a price on his name, and it’s $200 million if David Benavidez is still obsessed with him. The fight is arguably the biggest fight to make in boxing right now, and the only hurdle is the nine-figure number. What if someone comes along the way and is ready to splash the cash to give fans what they want? Will it be a fairy tale or a dream-turned-nightmare?

When the Mexican champion defended his undisputed crown against Jaime Munguia, he had a brief showdown with ‘The Mexican Monster’. He gestured towards his WBC mandatory to enter the ring as he indulged in post-win festivities. However, that was the end of the interest on his part, as he later again stressed his steep asking price. While some might see it as a payout worth the hype, any promoter will sweat to make the fight happen. Well, Alvarez made around $45 million fighting Jermall Charlo and another $35 million as a guaranteed purse when he brushed aside Munguia recently. Isn’t $200 million a ridiculous price, even for the face of boxing? But what about the promoter? Does anyone have enough deep pockets to fund this fight at this price?

Canelo Alvarez vs. David Benavidez: a promoter’s nightmare

While the ideal candidate seems to be HE Turki Alalshikh, even the Gulf money might be running short to cover the expenses and still come out in profits. The pressing question is whether Alvarez vs. Benavidez can generate enough money to turn the event into a success. You can look at how Floyd Mayweather could only bank $120 million when he fought Manny Pacquiao in one of the most iconic fights in boxing history, amassing $600 million in revenue. A similar spectacle was pulled when ‘TBE’ fought Conor McGregor and generated another $600 million.

To host Alvarez vs. Benavidez successfully, where no one suffers a loss, would require record-shattering PPV buys. The fight would have to sell well over 4 million PPVs. But can the 33-year-old champion pull off a Mayweather? We highly doubt that. Neither is Benavidez a household name of ‘PacMan’s stature nor does he have a fan base as extensive as the Filipino fighter.

Moreover, Alvarez vs. Benavidez has not yet captured the fans’ imagination the way Mayweather vs. Pacquiao or Mayweather vs. McGregor did. The fight is not billed as a battle for greatness or a clash of two global superstars. It’s merely a tussle for supremacy at 168 pounds and whether Alvarez can sustain Benavidez’s vicious onslaught. The chances are that PPV numbers wouldn’t be able to justify a paycheck of $200 million for the super middleweight champion. And that’s not the only concern.

An excessive burden on the fans: will they pay the price, literally?

Do you remember the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao and the Mayweather vs. McGregor fights? The fans had to shell out $100 to watch them live. That price was about a decade ago. You can see it coming that to afford the demand of Alvarez vs. Benavidez, fans will have to empty their pockets to buy the PPV.

Amusingly, when the Guadalajara native fought Munguia, the PPV price was surprisingly higher at $89.99. Insert Benavidez instead of Munguia, and the PPV price will swell upward of $100. The same can be argued about the gate prices, too. It will take a heavy toll on the viewers’ pockets, and it might further dent their ability to buy the fight, not to mention that it might evoke disinterest among them. In addition, they might find that the card is not worth the money.

A thinly stretched, underwhelming fight card to cut costs

Either you can accommodate Alvarez at $200 million or you can stack your card with other notable names. This is a foregone conclusion. Apart from Alvarez and Benavidez, any promoter will find it hard to put other alluring names on the same card, which will leave the fans in a tight spot. The only resort will be to set up an undercard filled with relatively unknown fighters, journeymen, and newcomers to reduce the pay bill to fighters. It will surely disappoint the fans and boxing community, as it’ll be hard to justify the soaring prices for the supposed PPV with no exciting action on offer.

In sum, the idea of unloading $200 million on Alvarez’s pay seems impractical, which will only induce not-so-favorable outcomes for the fans. While some might debate the growing influence of Saudi Arabia’s huge suitcases of money to organize events, the question remains whether Alvarez and Benavidez can pull off a crowd in Riyadh if the fight heads there. Does Canelo have a fan base outside the American continent that can shatter gate records? And more importantly, does Alvarez vs. Benavidez fit HE Alalshikh’s vision?

What do you make of this steep asking price by Canelo Alvarez for fighting David Benavidez? Do you think this is a fair price to make sure the fight goes through? Let us know in the comments below.