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The fight may be remembered as a boxing match that never happened, but David Benavidez insists there is still a path to a long-discussed showdown with Canelo Alvarez.
For years, Canelo denied the possibility of a fight with Benavidez during his reign as the world’s leading super middleweight, despite the hard-charging American’s steady rise in the rankings in the division. Frustrated with being frozen out, Benavidez eventually made room at 168 pounds and moved up in weight.
So far, the shift has paid off handsomely. Benavidez has since captured the WBC light heavyweight title, while Canelo’s own attempts at 175 pounds have had mixed results. In 2019, he won the WBO gold belt with a brilliant match against Sergey Kovalev, but was comprehensively defeated by WBA champion Dmitry Bivol three years later.
Canelo’s immediate future is now uncertain after a shocking loss to Terrence Crawford in September that brought his reign as undisputed super middleweight champion to an abrupt end.
In contrast, Benavidez’s performance appears to be soaring. He was very strong in his most recent title defense against Anthony Yarde Now, he’s eyeing blockbuster showdowns with unified champion Bivol and former undisputed ruler Artur Beterbiev. In the interim, Benavidez will test his credentials at lightweight in a one-fight bout in May 2026 when he takes on unified champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez. However, as he explained ringthe door remains open for a belated superfight with Canelo.
“I’m in a good position in every way. I wasn’t going to go down to 168, but now I’m at 175 and have the WBC world title if Canelo wants to come up.
“After I beat Bivol, I’m going to have all the belts. So after that, I’m the one with the power. Canelo said he fights for greatness, he fights for titles. OK, let me go pick up all the titles and let’s get back to the table and talk.”
