Benavidez Sizes Up Canelo: “Why Not Fight? It Looks Like Fear To Me”

David Benavidez Explains the Fear He Sees In Canelo

David Benavidez smells fear on Canelo Alvarez
David Benavidez (credit: Esther Lin, Stephanie Trapp) believes fear is the issue with landing a Canelo Alvarez fight

David Benavidez Thinks Canelo is Wearing Fear on his Sleeve


There is no doubt that two-time super middleweight champion David “The Monster” Benavidez (28-0, 24 KO’s believes that he is being heavily avoided. And he believes that evasive fighter, undisputed 168-pound champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KO’s), is running out of fear. The Monster revealed as much when speaking with Dontae’s Boxing Nation.

“I’ve been number one contender for the past three years, I don’t feel like I had to petition for anything because what the fuck is the point of you winning title eliminator, the interim title and being there for three years?”

“How does it look? The guy that talks the most shit, that you say is nothing, that you can beat like nothing and you’re going to get the most money out of fighting him, why the fuck would you not fight him? It don’t make sense. Well, because he knows what will happen to him . . . for me, it looks like fear; it looks like fear, like he is scared of me.”

THE MAKING OF A MONSTER

Given the background and extended timeline that he provided, it’s easy to see why The Monster has a chip on his shoulder. It’s also easy to see he opted to mosey on up to light heavyweight and tangle with Oleksandr Gvozdyk. Naturally though, if given the opportunity, Benavidez would return to 168 to dance with the Mexican redhead. The trouble is there is zero indication to believe that is going to happen.

If being honest, this really is looking bad for Canelo. As Benavidez so simply put, he’s worked his way into position, has been the mandatory challenger for years, it’s the fight the people want, and it represents the biggest available payday. Furthermore, The Monster was considered the top of the food chain when Alvarez entered the division. So, whether he had a belt or not, Benavidez was really someone Canelo has always needed to see.

For what does it mean to be undisputed if, for years, the champion is allowed to scamper away from their most dangerous challenger? What’s a champion who refuses to face vetted mandatory challengers? Is it time to see the return of the WBC’s surreal Franchise Champion designation?

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About Bakari S.3131 Articles
Bakari is a Senior Writer for 3kingsboxing.com. Visit cheetahhead.com to view more of his literary work.