It’s the million-dollar question everyone’s asking: What next for Canelo Alvarez? He wound up the first fight of the $100 million PBC deal last Saturday. Jermell Charlo, despite his apparent bravado of going to 168 pounds to become the next two-division undisputed champion, couldn’t churn out a fitting response to the questions raised by the Super Middleweight champion. So first, among the alternatives, there are the callouts.

Among the few, the most prominent remains Terence Crawford. After accomplishing the feat on July 29, he has been vocal about consolidating his legacy. And one of the options he foresees is a big-time match against Canelo Alvarez. But then there are the probables. It’s too late to avenge the Mayweather Jr. loss. But Alvarez can always return to even the score with Dmitry Bivol. And there is David Benavidez. His recent promotion as the WBC mandatory challenger has strengthened his case for entering the ring opposite Alvarez. Many believe that he has what it takes to stop the Alvarez juggernaut. Among those, the most prominent voice is that of Mike Tyson.

David Benavidez: a compelling reason

However, it should be remembered that Canelo Alvarez is not required to fight a mandatory until March next year. But even otherwise, given his stature, there remains every possibility of him receiving a let-off from the obligation. There’s also a great chance of him squaring up against Jermall Charlo, the reigning WBC Middleweight champion. Incidentally, he was the first choice to face Alvarez last Saturday before his twin brother’s name settled.

He’s a highly credible prospect. Unless there’s a catchweight, the ‘Hitman’ has to jump a division to meet Canelo Alvarez barely. His brother, Jermell Charlo, on the other hand, had to leap-frog two weight classes. Add to that the latest reports filtering in on him seeking revenge for his brother’s loss. It’s a reasonably potent line-up fans can look forward to.

Mike Tyson gave David Benavidez the nickname ‘The Mexican Monster.’ He had a reason for that. He said, “He’s so underrated but so overpolarizing. Listen, I’d be afraid to fight him, too, if I were in that division. No one even has a chance against him as it appears to be, and I’m talking from facts.”

David Benavidez successfully defended his title against Caleb Plant on March 25 this year. He remains unbeaten in all 27 outings. Except for three, all remaining wins came through early stoppages, which lends him a staggering knockout-to-win rate of 89%!

It’s not that there’s been a lack of overtures from Benavidez’s end to close in a Canelo Alvarez fight. Way back in 2021, in one of Hotboxin’s episodes, he made his intentions clear to take on one of the biggest names in modern boxing.

Right after he triumphed over Caleb Plant, ‘The Mexican Monster’ made it clear who was in the crosshairs. Giving a high-decibel shout-out to Alvarez, he said, “I have a lot of respect for Canelo Alvarez, but he has to give me that shot now. That’s what everybody wants to see: me versus Canelo…”

A month after he defended his title from John Ryder on May 6, Canelo Alvarez even received a big offer from David Benavidez’s team. More so, by the following month, it became clear that he would be fighting Jermell Charlo at the T Mobile Arena.

The Monster’s way to glory

In the meantime, as it appears, ‘The Mexican Monster’ might have to settle for an interim line-up against the undefeated WBO Middleweight champion, Demetrius Andrade, on November 25. However, as he spoke in a podcast recently, there is a chance of his brother Jose Benavidez Jr., who famously lost a Welterweight battle to Terence Crawford five years ago, taking on Jermall Charlo. Hence, in the scenario, if Benavidez Jr. wins the bout, the chances of the ‘Hitman’ going against Canelo Alvarez might be as good as closed.

Speaking on the Samp&Chance podcast just a day before the Alvarez-Charlo fight, Benavidez said, “What I do want to say is, um, I feel like we’re [going to] manifest this because Canelo is going to beat Charlo, and then Canelo is supposed to fight Charlo another one, but my brother is going to fight him on my card in the co-main event, and my brother he’s [going to] win the fight, so then after we take the other Charlo out of the equation, and it’s just me and Canelo right there.”

If the Benavidez camp succeeds this time, fans have one of the contenders for the ‘Fight of the Year,’ 2024, at hand. Undoubtedly, the Canelo Alvarez-David Benavidez fight is a fight among near equals. Be it size or skill; the latter has what it takes to offer stiff resistance and perhaps even score a win against the Mexican icon. Probably that’s what makes this line-up so interesting—a never-before-seen pairing. Given the supreme confidence exuded by ‘The Mexican Monster,’ the sheer thought of Canelo Alvarez finally meeting his match seems probable to many. In Benavidez, fans see someone who can defeat the formidable, undisputed champion for the third time.

Read More: “We Have an Agreement”: David Benavidez’s Promoter Confirms His Fight With David Morrell

Do you agree with Tyson’s hypothesis on a Benavidez-Alvarez match-up? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

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