By: Sean Crose
After thrashing Caleb Plant last weekend in Las Vegas, David Benavidez is seen as being a prime opponent for Canelo Alvarez, the undisputed super middleweight champion of the world. Like Benavidez, Canelo too has bested the crafty Plant in the ring. Still, while there’s little doubt that a Canelo-Benavidez bout would be a huge event, Canelo has a lot on his plate at the moment. He’s going to be facing England’s John Ryder in a Mexican homecoming bout this spring. Then he’s expected to face his former conqueror, light heavyweight titlist Dmitry Bivol, in September.
Still, Canelo knows as well as anyone how easily fights can fall through, which means Benavidez may get his crack at glory sooner rather than later. “Bivol is a great fight,” Canelo told FightHype. “It’s a tough fight – but Benavidez we don’t’ know. We need to find out.” That, of course, is music to the ears of fight fans. It’s also somewhat unsurprising, as, unlike some others, Canelo isn’t thought to be in the business of avoiding top competition. “He’s a good fighter,” Canelo said good naturedly of Benavidez, “but I’m a great fighter.” There’s no denying the fact that Canelo’s a great fighter. The question now is how good Benavidez actually is – and if he’s good enough to best the legendary Canelo.
In truth, Ryder is seen as an easy fight for Canelo, though the man is the red haired star’s mandatory. Besides, Canelo has faced a who’s who of competition for years now, from Gennady Golovkin to Bivol to Plant to Billy Joe Saunders, and beyond. As for Benavidez, the hard hitting and gutsy former world titlist finally blasted his way into the big time by beating a game and challenging Plant last weekend. Should Canelo defeat Ryder and Bivol, there’s a good chance Benavidez would be next in line. Canelo’s schedule is full at the moment, however, and there’s no guaranteeing he’ll win his next two fights – especially a rematch with Bivol.
Yet that’s what makes Canelo respected: The fact that he takes on the serious challenges.
