David Benavidez‘s rise to the top of the boxing world is a compelling yet bittersweet tale. The Mexican Monster desperately pursued a super middleweight bout against Canelo Alvarez, only to be denied the chance for years. Frustrated, he moved up to 175 lbs and immediately secured a bout against Dmitry Bivol after winning the WBC Interim and WBA Regular titles. However, history repeated, and Bivol sidestepped, choosing to focus on his trilogy against Artur Beterbiev instead. Though Bivol vacated his WBC title and the WBC handed it over to Benavidez, this wasn’t how the 28-year-old saw himself becoming the champion.
Despite being a champion now, Benavidez likely carries a lingering emptiness. This must have been further increased by Terence Crawford getting a blockbuster clash against Canelo, a pound-for-pound legend who is almost 13lbs lighter than the unified super middleweight champion. It must sting for Benavidez to see his dream opponent picking someone from a lighter category when he was available and asking for the fight all along. Well, he finally made his stance known while giving a reality check to both Canelo and Crawford.
It’s all business for Canelo Alvarez, says the Mexican Monster
David Benavidez, when he sat down with Mystic Zach to rant about his feelings about the current situation, expressed disbelief at Cinnamon entertaining multiple options, including even Jake Paul, yet his name never gets mentioned. “I feel like my name isn’t mentioned because I’m the most dangerous fighter out there, but for the least amount of money,” he declared. He reflected on the shifting landscape of boxing, where financial gain often trumps legacy. “I mean, now all these fighters, I feel like they see everything as a business move, which it wasn’t like that back then. But I know, I feel like just the dynamic of boxing is changing,” he shared.
Dismissing the upcoming blockbuster clash against Terence Crawford, Benavidez boldly declared himself as the superior opponent for Canelo Alvarez. “Because it’d be the best fight on in boxing, you know, would give the fans. A lot of fireworks with that fight. But Canelo, he wanted to do he wanted to go different route you know. He wanted to fight somebody that’s coming up from 147, and smaller guy,” he stated. Despite his dejection, Benavidez didn’t disrespect Crawford and claimed it would not be an easy fight. “But I mean it’s just it I feel like it’d be better for the people if he fought somebody in his own weight class,” he lamented. For long, this was also the contention that Canelo Alvarez put forth for not taking the Terence Crawford fight. But that changed once the Saudis entered the picture.
Regardless, after facing countless rejections, the Bandera Roja has learned not to let setbacks define him. He has moved on from waiting for Canelo Alvarez and is looking for himself. Rather, he uses it as a fuel to push forward. “But like I said, it doesn’t derail me. If anything, it gives me more motivation because now I know that, oh, these people were ducking me for a reason,” he added.
And it looks like the Phoenix native is actually moving forward. Instead of dwelling, he is busy securing a thrilling, hard-hitting matchup against a legit contender.
A perfect first defense for David Benavidez
With Bivol-Beterbiev locked in a trilogy, Benavidez found himself hunting for new challengers. He didn’t have to look far, as Matchroom head honcho Eddie Hearn threw Callum Smith‘s name in the ring last month. And a few days ago, team Benavidez confirmed a potential date for the bout.
In a conversation with Fight Hub TV, José Benavidez Sr. revealed how his son is still looking forward, despite getting denied a bout against Canelo Alvarez and Dmitry Bivol. “He’s [working on] his own legacy, he’s doing what he’s supposed to do,” he said. Benavidez is happy with his performance and deserves to be the regular champion.
On the timeline for the Callum Smith fight, José Sr. noted, “We’re talking maybe in August, somewhere around there, September [maybe]… He’s been busy a little bit, but those are the dates that we’re probably thinking. It could be sooner…”
Despite David Benavidez not getting the fights he wanted, Callum Smith is a great opponent for his first title defense. Since Callum Smith is also the WBO interim light heavyweight champion, a victory here would clear his path towards the winner of the Bivol-Beterbiev trilogy, and then no one could avoid him.
Do you think Benavidez would have been a better opponent for Canelo Alvarez? Let us know your thoughts down below.
The post Not Just Canelo Alvarez, Dejected David Benavidez Also Puts Terence Crawford in His Place- “I’m the Most Dangerous” appeared first on EssentiallySports.
