Last September, Canelo defended his unified super-middleweight titles with a unanimous decision win over previously unbeaten Edgar Berlanga. The Mexican champion chose to face Berlanga instead of his mandatory challenger William Scull, which cost him the IBF belt. He's no longer the undisputed champion but still holds the other major titles in the division.
David Benavidez, once seen as Canelo's biggest challenge at 168 pounds, has now set his sights elsewhere. In a recent interview, Benavidez said:
"Right now I've moved on."
Benavidez has jumped up to light-heavyweight and will face WBA Regular champion David Morrell on February 1. He'll be putting his WBC Interim title on the line. If he wins, he'll be in line to challenge undisputed champion Artur Beterbiev.
Despite moving on for now, Benavidez believes a fight with Canelo could still happen down the road:
"Eventually it will happen because I'm not going to lose to nobody, and I don't think he's going to lose to anybody either. Maybe it doesn't happen now but it could happen in five years because I don't see Canelo retiring any time soon."
Canelo has expressed interest in a rematch with Dmitry Bivol, but the Russian boxer is expected to face Beterbiev in an immediate rematch. Another potential opponent is Terence Crawford, who's willing to jump up two weight classes for the challenge. Canelo might reconsider Crawford's offer given the lack of other big-name options.
The boxing world is noticing Canelo's predicament. With Benavidez out of the picture for now, there's a lack of huge nights or big challenges on the horizon for the Mexican superstar.