Canelo Alvarez offered immediate world title shot by dangerous 6’2 champion after Terence Crawford loss
David Benavidez is offering Canelo Alvarez a chance to settle their long-term rivalry and potentially claim a world title while doing so.
For the first time in seven years Canelo woke up this month without a title to his name, after Terence Crawford claimed the Mexican’s undisputed super-middleweight crown.
Despite the defeat, Alvarez is still a top target for anyone that wants to fight a highly regarded pound-for-pound legend.
JUST IN: ‘It is not true’ – Turki Alalshikh dismisses claims he will
One man that’s made it clear that he has his sights set on the 35-year-old is the reigning WBC light-heavyweight champion, Benavidez.
In his latest call-out, on the Inside The Ring show, he explained: “I feel like everything that’s happening in my career, I’m in a great position in every single way.
“I wasn’t going to go down to 168lbs but now if Canelo wants to come up then come, I got the WBC world title at 175lbs.
“After I beat Bivol I’m going to have all the belts so after that happens, now I’m the one that has the power, now I’m the one.
“Canelo says he doesn’t fight for greatness, he fights for titles.
“Well let me go pick up all the titles and let’s come back to the table and talk.”
Just four years after emerging on the professional scene, Benavidez came into possession of the vacant WBC super middleweight title after beating Ronald Gavril via split decision.
As the 6’2 dangerous monster was then the No.1 WBC contender in line to challenge Canelo for his super middleweight belt, it was anticipated that they would one day face-off.
It’s undeniable that the pair share a complex history, having been in a verbal back-and-forth for years but Benavidez remains eager to settle their score.
Alvarez retained boxing fans’ hopes of facing Benavidez, given his camp denied that he rejected a $55 million offer to face his rival.
But it has still yet to materialise, and Alvarez is now at a crossroads in his boxing career.
Benavidez then decided to move up to light-heavyweight last June to meet Oleksandr Gvozdyk instead.
In defeating Gvozdyk, he became the interim WBC light-heavyweight world title, before being upgraded to the WBC’s full champion at 175lbs, after defeating David Morrell in February.
Are we likely to see Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez fight?
Benavidez has made it clear that he has a bout with Canelo on his mind, and hopes that his rival will be enticed by his titles.
After his initial success at light heavyweight, Benavidez has found himself gearing up for his first title defence against Anthony Yarde on November 22.
But from Alvarez’s end, his future is completely up in the air.
The Mexican in the past has leapt up to 175lbs, first putting on a stunning display to beat Sergey Kovalev in 2019.
Although in his most recent leap up to that weight, Alvarez was comprehensively outboxed by Dmitry Bivol three years later.
It is hugely unlikely the bout will now ever take place, with the pair on different trajectories entirely.
