After Canelo Alvarez’s Uncertain Take On David Benavidez, WBC President Confirms the Fight to Take Place in 2024

The king may have his way. But sometimes, the king-maker holds the sway. Canelo Alvarez made his stance clear about a fight with David Benavidez. The undisputed super middleweight champion may enter the ring twice next year. The first bout is tentatively scheduled for May, while the second could turn up by September. However, speaking to the media, Alvarez appeared skeptical about the opponents he would be going against, especially ‘El Monstruo.’

But as it appears, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman Saldivar sounded confident that Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez would meet next year. The head of the leading sanctioning body is in San Francisco for the Devin Haney and Regis Prograis fight. Phoenix, Arizona-born Benavidez, fresh out of the emphatic win over Demetrius Andrade last month, had once again called out Alvarez. As the WBC’s mandatory challenger to the Mexican icon’s super middleweight belt, ‘The Mexican Monster’ has been clamoring for the big bout for some time.

Coming soon: Canelo Alvarez vs. David Benavidez

Mauricio Sulaiman shared his views on the Devin Haney and Regis Prograis fight. He said, “It’s a tremendous fight. Uh, both fighters are very uh on top of the game right now.” Soon after, he shared his perceptions of Haney’s possible leaping up to the Welterweight division. The FightHype reporter asked Sulaiman about the Alvarez-Benavidez fight, “Going into 2024, everybody wants to see obviously Canelo fight David Benavidez, and being that um David is his mandatory… How likely are we to see that fight?”

The WBC head replied, “I’m I’m I’m certain it’s going to happen. It’s a great fight in all aspects. Uh, both fighters won the fight, and uh we got to do it very intelligently and and lead them uh to the process so it doesn’t break, and uh we I’m sure the fight is going to be one of the best of next  year.” Then the reporter asked what might happen if Canelo Alvarez showed an unwillingness to face David Benavidez.

‘The Mexican Monster’ is the WBC mandatory challenger. Hence, would the sanctioning body be in a position to force the fight to happen? the reporter asked. Mauricio Sulaiman once again responded that the fight would take place. Given his proximity to both camps, the only thing the match needs is the right timing to make it a spectacular experience.

The monarch leads

The comments come in the wake of Canelo Alvarez’s exchange with a group of reporters. When asked, “We know the WBC has made David Benavidez the mandatory challenger; will that fight happen in September?” The reigning super middleweight champion, sounding hesitant, said that he’s all game for great bouts. However, whether September is the apt time for that battle or Benavidez will have to wait a while, time will only tell. He emphasized that fights often become more intense if the wait period gets longer.

Earlier, a reporter asked Canelo Alvarez about David Benavidez’s comments. The undisputed champion should vacate his WBC belt if he is not interested in fighting ‘El Monstruo.’ The Mexican idol replied that there’s plenty of room for discussion. However, since he is the ‘king,’ he gets to do whatever he pleases. Thus, while hinting that his opponent may have to wait a bit longer, Alvarez didn’t put a September bout against Benavidez out of the question.

Read More: Canelo Alvarez Vows to Knock Out David Benavidez “In The Future”

Do you think David Benavidez should move to 175 pounds if Canelo Alvarez still forgoes a fight with him? Please share your views with us in the comments below.

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