Canelo Alvarez has made it clear he won't fight David Benavidez anytime soon. The Mexican superstar, who's won world titles in four weight classes, says he'll only return to light-heavyweight for a rematch with Dmitry Bivol.
Alvarez has been dominating the 168-pound division since his debut there in 2018. He recently added the IBF title to his collection by beating William Scull. But fans haven't been happy that he's not defending against Benavidez, who's been chasing a fight with Canelo for years.
Benavidez, known as "The Mexican Monster," got tired of waiting and moved up to light-heavyweight. The WBC even made him their world champion at 175 pounds. But Canelo's not interested.
In an interview with The Ring Magazine, Canelo said:
"I hope I have the opportunity to have the rematch with Bivol. That's the only fight in 175 I'd really take."
Benavidez seems to have given up on ever getting the Canelo fight. He told 210 Boxing TV:
"No, I'm done with 168. I'm done with 168."
The 28-year-old from Phoenix is even thinking about moving up to cruiserweight. But first, he might fight Callum Smith at light-heavyweight. Smith just beat Joshua Buatsi on February 22 in Riyadh to become the WBO 'Interim' champion.
Canelo's got other plans. He's officially set to fight pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford next. That mega-fight was confirmed right after Canelo's win over Scull.
At 34, Canelo's been a pro for nearly 20 years. He started when he was just 15 and has racked up some big wins. He's beaten guys like Gennady Golovkin, Callum Smith, Jermell Charlo, and Jaime Munguia. He's also the first undisputed super-middleweight champion of the 'four belt era' and has done it twice.
