De La Hoya and Alvarez have a complicated history. They used to work closely together, with De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions guiding Alvarez's career. Now, they're bitter enemies. They even got into a heated argument at Canelo's press conference for his fight with Jaime Munguia, exchanging harsh words before being separated.
In an interview with Fight Hub TV, De La Hoya explained his reasoning behind the prediction. He pointed out that Benavidez throws 50-55 punches per round on average. De La Hoya compared this to Canelo's recent fight with Charlo, where he claimed they threw only one punch combined in the first round.
"Benavidez is young, he's strong, he's very versatile, and he throws a lot of punches," De La Hoya said. "I'm speaking as a boxing expert, not out of personal animosity."
However, De La Hoya added a note of caution. He admitted that if Canelo lands his powerful right hand, it could be "game over" for Benavidez.
Canelo has an impressive record of 66 fights with only two losses, both by points decisions. He's never been knocked down in his professional career. This makes De La Hoya's prediction even more surprising.
Despite the hype, the fight might not happen soon. Benavidez is now competing at light-heavyweight (175lbs), and Alvarez is reportedly demanding over $150 million to consider the fight.
The bad blood between De La Hoya and Alvarez continues to simmer, adding another layer of intrigue to this potential matchup. For now, fans will have to wait and see if this prediction ever gets a chance to play out in the ring.