David Benavidez must wait for shot at Canelo
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José de Jesus Ortiz, Founder & Editor in Chief
- May 24, 2022
David Benavidez earns super middleweight title again
The Mexican Monster is hungry. New WBC world super middleweight champion David Benavidez is ready for a bigger challenge. He’s eager for a stage with brighter lights and surely a bigger purse.
The pride of Phoenix with Mexican roots didn’t waste time late Saturday night declaring his willingness to face some of the biggest names in his weight class.
Rest assured, however, that Mexican icon Saul ”Canelo” Alvarez is the name Benavidez wants most on the marquee next to his.
Benavidez likely will have to settle for facing Caleb Plant, Jermall Charlo or David Morrell before he can get a shot at Canelo.
DAZN announced Tuesday that Canelo’s next fight will be his third against Gennadiy Golovkin on Sept. 17.
Whatever the case, Benavidez has proud ready for prime time. Soon after making it look easy against former champion David Lemieux, Benavidez looked toward the next challenge.
The so-called “El Bandera Roja” was overpowering while winning the vacant interim WBC world super middleweight title.
Benavidez insinuated to reporters Saturday that “Canelo” Alvarez doesn’t want to fight him. Then he noted that he’s ready for Plant, Charlo or Morrell to sign a contract to fight him.
His language was as salty as the rapid punches that earned him a third-round TKO victory at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz.
“Them bitches know what’s up,” he told media in Glendale, referring to Plant, Charlo and Morrell. “I’m right here waiting for them. I’ll put myself against everyone. I guarantee I’m knocking everyone out.”
David Benavidez, 25, has claimed the super middleweight title three times in his career. Undisputed champion Canelo is the only super middleweight fighter who deserves to be rated higher than Benavidez.
David Benavidez remains undefeated
Will Canelo ever be willing to put his belts and reputation on the line against Benavidez, who is now 26-0 with 23 knockouts in his career?
Canelo surely knows Benavidez wants a shot at him. It’s not as though the Phoenix native has hidden his desire to fight the Mexican champion.
“Right now we’re just trying to get to the big fights,” Benavidez told Our Esquina in December as he prepared for Lemieux. “Obviously the biggest fight right now is with Canelo Alvarez, but if we cannot get to him I feel like there’s a lot of other good fights too.”
There are definitely some good names out there for David Benavidez. Even a former champion like Lemieux appeared thoroughly outclassed by Benavidez. He punished Lemieux badly Saturday night before the fight was stopped in the third round.
Afterward, Benavidez proudly crowed to reporter Jim Gray about the nickname former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson gave him a while back.
“Mike Tyson gave me the name ‘The Mexican Monster,'” he told Gray. “What do you think I’m gonna do? I just feel like I’m the strongest 168 pounder. No one can mess with me.”
With all that said, Benavidez hopes Canelo or the other big names in his division try to mess with him.
José de Jesus Ortiz
Founder & Editor in Chief
Award-winning writer José de Jesus Ortiz, a former lead sports columnist at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, has covered Major League Baseball since 1997 in Los Angeles, St. Petersburg, New York and Houston. He was the first Latino to serve as president of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
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