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Mexican boxer Saúl "Canelo" Alvarez is currently deep in preparation for his scheduled fight on May 3 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, against Will Scull. Canelo will be aiming for the undisputed super middleweight title (IBF).
This belt had previously been in Canelo's possession; however, he didn't face Scull, who was the mandatory challenger for that title at the time, and it became vacant. Scull then fought Vladimir Shishkin, and the Cuban came out victorious to claim the belt, which he will now put on the line against Saúl Álvarez.
Even though Canelo's mind is focused on his fight, now less than a month away, David Benavidez-who's been eager to face Saúl-sent a strong message to the fighter from Guadalajara, after having been denied the opportunity to fight him numerous times.
Benavidez takes aim at Canelo
Canelo, the king of the 168-pound division across three weight classes, had previously stated that he hasn't wanted to fight David Benavidez because Benavidez has no major accomplishments or world champion belts to his name. He also mentioned that Benavidez is completely disrespectful, and that's another reason he's not interested in the fight.
However, David Benavidez didn't hold back. In an interview with Mystic Zach, he fired back with a sharp statement criticizing Canelo's choice of opponents. He suggested that Canelo's next opponent might be Terence Crawford, who fights in lower weight classes than super middleweight.
"We would give the fans so much excitement, but Canelo wanted to go in another direction. He wanted to fight someone coming up from 147 pounds, a smaller guy."
Benavidez more motivated than ever
With an impressive record of 30-0, David Benavidez is at a crucial point in his career. Despite the fact that the fight with Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez hasn't happened, he knows his worth and finds motivation in being avoided because of how dangerous he is in the ring.
"It motivates me more because now I know they're downplaying me for a reason... I had a feeling these people weren't ignoring me publicly for no reason. Now it's clear how good I really am."
The reality is that a fight between Saúl Álvarez and David Benavidez seems more distant than ever. At least for now in 2025, if Canelo ends up fighting Crawford in September, it will be practically impossible for this long-awaited clash to take place.