Negotiations for a possible struggle between Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez have change into a weighty subject.
Alvarez is the undisputed king of the tremendous middleweight division, and he’ll defend his crown as soon as extra towards Jaime Munguia in an all-Mexican Cinco De Mayo weekend showdown in Las Vegas on Might 4.
Munguia is actually an interesting opponent who will assist make the struggle a blockbuster success, however he outmoded Benavidez, Alvarez’s necessary WBC challenger who’s been patiently ready within the wings for a number of years for his well-deserved alternative.
Affords at $55 million have been made to entertain Alvarez with a Benavidez bout starting in 2022, and Benavidez has just lately claimed to just accept $5 million in return for the event, however dealmakers haven’t been in a position to whet the urge for food of Alvarez.
In latest weeks, Alvarez, the fifth highest-paid athlete on the earth in keeping with Forbes, has been purely big-business-minded, indicating that it might take between $150-200 million to entertain the thought of preventing Benavidez and that his rival brings nothing to the desk outdoors of 25 further kilos on struggle night time.
The story of the tape for a tilt between Alvarez and Benavidez favors Benavidez, who’s six years youthful, six inches taller, possesses 4 inches of longer attain, and is of course the larger and quicker fighter who seems extra explosive.
To curb the 33-year-old Alvarez’s considerations, it was just lately shared that Benavidez is open to a rehydration clause within the contract.
Alvarez doesn’t see any profit in bullying Benavidez with weight stipulations.
“Yeah, [a rehydration clause] is a lose-lose state of affairs as a result of, you recognize, after the struggle, they will say ‘it was due to this.’” Alvarez instructed BoxingScene in an interview on Thursday from his coaching camp dwelling close to Lake Tahoe, California. “After which what? After which what? Then you are going to speak about that clause. After I beat him, they will say it was due to the clause – nothing to do with that struggle.”
Very similar to Ryan Garcia pointed to his 136-pound catchweight and 10-pound rehydration clause as the primary cause for getting knocked out by Gervonta Davis, Alvarez believes an analogous narrative will likely be structured ought to he outlast Benavidez.
Alvarez isn’t any stranger to weight clauses in big-time fights.
When the still-green Alvarez fought and suffered his first profession loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013, Alvarez was the WBC and WBA 154-pound champion on the time however needed to struggle at a 152-pound catchweight. Mayweather pressured the clause after initially requesting the struggle to happen at 147 kilos and 150 kilos earlier than settling at 152 kilos. Alvarez weighed 165 kilos on the night time of the struggle, whereas Mayweather weighed in at 150 ½ kilos and fought at 150 kilos.
Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) has since gone on to change into a four-division world champion beating a who’s who of boxing’s greatest alongside the way in which. He’s even thought-about a cruiserweight run, however the heaviest Alvarez has fought is twice at 175 kilos.
The Guadalajara native knocked out Sergey Kovalev in 2019 to attain a light-weight heavyweight title, however he suffered a unanimous choice loss to Dmitrii Bivol in 2022.
Alvarez mentioned he’s contemplating one other run at 175 kilos to face the winner of the June 1 struggle between Bivol and Artur Beterbiev, probably in Saudi Arabia, the oil-rich nation in search of big-time bouts in change for the bank-breaking paydays Alvarez is more and more taken with.
“There may be at all times the opportunity of having a rematch with Dmitrii Bivol. Why not? That struggle – I’d like to have that struggle,” mentioned Alvarez. “I’m simply centered on this struggle [right now with Munguia]. I’m struggle by struggle. However you recognize, if there’s something attention-grabbing for me at 175 kilos, why not?”
The boxing public has been calling for Alvarez to struggle Benavidez, particularly for the reason that four-division champion has crushed everybody he’s confronted throughout his 168-pound run starting in 2020, which has included the likes of Callum Smith, Billy Joe Saunders, Caleb Plant, Gennadiy Golovkin, John Ryder, and Jermell Charlo.
Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs) earned the Alvarez alternative after simply two fights within the weight class, most just lately knocking out Ryder in January, one thing Alvarez couldn’t accomplish final Might.
After years of claiming he wouldn’t struggle a fellow Mexican, Alvarez even credited Munguia’s respect as one of many causes that helped him earn the struggle – one thing the outspoken Mexican-American Benavidez has not proven.
Benavidez (26-0, 23 KOs), in the meantime, is a two-time 168-pound titleholder who’s misplaced his belts for faults outdoors of the ring and has fought within the weight class his total 11-year profession. After a banner 2023 marketing campaign beating Demetrius Andrade and Plant, “The Mexican Monster” is now on the brink of make his 175-pound debut this summer time towards Alvarez’s former sparring accomplice and former mild heavyweight titleholder Oleksandr Gvozdyk.
With Benavidez being probably the most credible and profitable choice left at 168 kilos, observers are claiming Alvarez is avoiding Benavidez, particularly after he floated the $200 million determine.
“, I fought with any fighter and I win good my cash and so I can do no matter I would like at the moment,” mentioned Alvarez. “I deserve it as a result of I did every part in my profession and I should be on this place. I’ll do no matter I would like.”
Though Benavidez’s subsequent struggle is at 175 kilos, he has intentions to maneuver again right down to 168 kilos.
Benavidez is seemingly caught chasing Alvarez’s shadow each step of the way in which as he additional validates his standing with every passing struggle.
How does Alvarez reply to detractors who deem he’s ducking and dodging the hard-charging Benavidez?
“These should not my followers. These are my critics. And so they at all times have one thing to say about me,” mentioned Alvarez. “It was [previously] Gennadiy Golovkin. It was Miguel Cotto. And now it is Benavidez. Should you see my resume, I fought with everyone. So I haven’t got something to say to these individuals as a result of they’re by no means going to grasp that. As a result of they see, however they do not wish to perceive. So I am pleased with what I’m doing – and I’m nonetheless going to do it.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports activities journalist, author, and broadcast reporter. He’s additionally a member of the Boxing Writers Affiliation of America and the MMA Journalists Affiliation. He might be reached on X (previously Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, by means of electronic mail at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or by way of www.ManoukAkopyan.com.
