What a fight. For the fifth time in five fights, Canelo Alvarez remained the definitive super middleweight champion. He’s arguably, or not-so arguably, the biggest name in boxing right now, which begs a question. Who should Canelo Alvarez fight next?
Boxing Commentary: Who Should Canelo Alvarez Fight Next?
Canelo Alvarez triumphed over Jaime Munguia with a unanimous win on Saturday (May 4). Another huge win for the champion. So, who should Canelo Alvarez fight next? Fans want to see him go up against David Benavidez, “The Mexican Monster.” Last year, Benavidez turned heads by beating both Caleb Plant and Demetrius Andrade.
“If the money’s right … I can fight [Benavidez] right now,” Alvarez said in a post-fight press conference. “I don’t give a s—. It’s only a matter of money at this point. Everybody is asking for everything.”
He added, “When I fought [Erislandy] Lara, Austin Trout, Miguel Angel Cotto, [Floyd] Mayweather, Billy Joe Saunders, GGG, everybody said I don’t want to fight them, and I fought all of them. So right now … I can do whatever I want.”
That’s straight from Alvarez. But, what does Benavidez think?
“The fans now are getting upset because this is the biggest fight on the table,” Benavidez told ESPN earlier Saturday. He was at a news conference to talk about his June 15 fight vs. Oleksandr Gvozdyk. “And why are we going to leave it on the table for no reason?”
Benavidez added, “This is a fight that has to happen. … And I’m going to keep putting these types of performances on where people are going to want to see it. The demand of this fight is really high. It’s bad blood. I don’t like him. He doesn’t like me.”
That said, Benavidez doesn’t think it’s going to happen. At least, that’s the stick he’s giving the press.
“He’s not going to fight me,” Benavidez told ESPN. “I think he’s just running out of things to say. He’s literally said every excuse. He said that I only bring 25 pounds in and I’m not nothing. I’m this and that. I’m not dedicated, I’m not respectful. I think he’s scared of him losing and then me taking all his [fans]. That’s what it is. I don’t really think he’s scared of me. I think he doesn’t want me to get the torch passed.”
Tension has been building between Alvarez and Benavidez for a while. And, it does appear that Alvarez is not too enthusiastic about fighting Benavidez. But, these two are on top right now.
In the Superweight Category, Alvarez is ranked the champion, and just behind him is Benavidez via multiple outlets, including The Ring, ESPN, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board and more. What more can Benavidez do to secure this huge fight?
Even if Alvarez isn’t very enthusiastic about taking on Benavidez, money talks. This match would draw incredible cash, and that’s enough to make it a likelihood over a possibility.
For now, Benavidez is looking ahead to his June fight against Oleksandr Gvozdyk at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, Nevada. That fight will also feature Gervonta Davis vs. Frank Martin.