By: Sean Crose
Speaking to Fight Hub, Canelo Alvarez made it perfectly clear that he’s not going to break under any amount of pressure. In other words, those who want the undisputed super middleweight titlist to face ferocious contender David Benavidez aren’t going to bend the man’s will. “They always have something to say about me,” Canelo said of his critics. “If you see my resume, I fought with everybody, so I don’t have anything to say to those people. They’re never going to understand that.” While it’s true, a fight between Canelo and Benavidez would be wonderful for fans, as well as for the sport, Canelo feels he’s earned the right to pick and choose who he gets to fight at this point of his career.
“I can do whatever I want at this time,” he said. “I deserve it because I did everything in my career and I deserve being in this position and I’m going to do with whatever I want.” Fair enough, but what about the possibility of facing Benavidez at a catch weight? “It’s a lose, lose situation,” the multi divisional titlist said, indicating that if he beat Benavidez at a catch weight, critics would accuse him of essentially rigging the fight.
Canelo appeared to be far more open to facing WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol, who bested the red haired star a few years back. “Why not?” Canelo asked rhetorically of a rematch. “It’s always there, to have the possibility to have the rematch with Bivol. That fight I would love to have.” Of course, the main reason Canelo was being interviewed was because he has a fight with the undefeated Jaime Munguia set for Cinco De Mayo Weekend in Las Vegas. “I think this fight with Jaime is going to be very important to Mexicans,” Canelo said of facing his countryman in the ring in a few weeks. “It’s big for Mexico.”
Like Canelo himself, Munguia is a brutal puncher, which means there could be fireworks at the T-Mobile Arena come May 4th. “I love being involved in these kinds of fights,” Canelo said. “He (Munguia) comes in with the mentality to give everything to win, and I’m the same. I think its going to be a really good fight.” The fans certainly hope so. And so, it seems, does Canelo himself. “I always love to be involved in a war,” he said.
