David Benavidez and Canelo Alvarez still haven't faced each other in the ring, despite fans wanting to see this match-up for years.
Benavidez, a 28-year-old fighter from Phoenix, Arizona, recently won a unanimous decision against David Morrell on February 1. This victory added to his impressive list of titles, which includes the WBC 'Interim' light heavyweight champion and the WBA Regular light heavyweight champion. He's also a two-time world champion.
Canelo, the Mexican superstar boxer and current WBC super middleweight champion, has been avoiding a fight with Benavidez. In 2023, Benavidez became the mandatory challenger for Canelo's WBC super middleweight title, but the fight hasn't materialized.
In a recent interview with The Ring Magazine, Canelo explained his reasons for not fighting Benavidez:
"When somebody approach you like that, and call you out like that, you don't need to give them money. Like I say, I can do whatever I want. I just don't like the way he approaches taking the fight."
Benavidez, nicknamed 'The Monster', responded to Canelo's comments during his post-fight press conference after beating Morrell. He said:
"I would love to fight Canelo, it would be a massive, massive fight but Canelo says he has other things and he says I'm being too mean, and the way I'm approaching him so I guess I gotta work on my attitude."
While the Canelo fight remains elusive, Benavidez might have other big opportunities on the horizon. He could potentially face the winner of the Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol rematch for the undisputed light heavyweight title.
Canelo, on the other hand, has his schedule planned out. He's set to fight William Scull in May for an undisputed bout, followed by a potential clash with Terence Crawford in September.
The boxing world will have to wait and see if Benavidez and Canelo will ever meet in the ring. For now, both fighters are focusing on their own paths in the sport.
