Bernard Hopkins has changed his mind about the Canelo Alvarez vs. David Benavidez fight. The boxing legend now sees it as a close contest.
For years, fans have wanted to see Canelo and Benavidez face off. It's one of the biggest possible fights in boxing. Back in 2022, Hopkins didn't think it would be competitive. He told Fight Hub TV that Canelo would easily beat Benavidez.
"He smashes him."
But things have changed since then. Canelo has stayed on top of the 168-pound division. He's beaten Jermell Charlo, Jaime Munguia, and Edgar Berlanga in the past year.
Benavidez has also proven himself as a real threat. He's picked up big wins over Caleb Plant, Demetrius Andrade, David Lemieux, and Oleksandr Gvozdyk. He even moved up to light heavyweight in June.
Now, Hopkins sees the fight differently. He told Fighthype that it would be a tough battle:
"No [I don't know if he will win] but I didn't say he'll lose either. That would be a fight that would cement whether he goes towards being called greatness. Canelo has already proved to many he deserves that position, but that would be the biggest test to get all the respect that Benavidez is looking for."
Hopkins thinks a win over Canelo would be huge for Benavidez:
"To beat a Canelo type figure in this time in 2024, this would shut the doubters up and it would make it a less argumentative conversation based on who is the top guy."
Mike Tyson has also shared his thoughts on the match-up. Unlike Hopkins, Tyson didn't hesitate to pick a winner. But we'll have to wait and see if this fight happens and who comes out on top.
