David Benavidez has every reason to hold a grudge against Canelo Alvarez. After all, despite being the mandatory challenger in the super middleweight division, Benavidez was seemingly ignored and treated as an afterthought
The reason? “Because of the way he talks, he thinks he’s Superman,” Canelo declared. Derogatory, not to say downright disdainful. But if there was one thing David Benavidez could do, it was not to wait any longer. And he did
Terence Crawford can follow in Floyd Mayweather’s footsteps
In the second half of 2024, he took the reins, moving up to light heavyweight and claiming the interim WBC title with an impressive victory over Oleksandr Gvozdyk, which he defended in February this year against the undefeated David Morrell. However, with all that history, would Benavidez let his past cloud his judgment?
Apparently not. The upcoming September showdown between Terence Crawford vs Canelo Alvarez has long generated debate about size, skill and ring intelligence
Although some believe that Terence Crawford can follow in the footsteps of Floyd Mayweather who neutralized Canelo, then 23, in 2013, others are not so sure
Former world champion Timothy Bradley, who has never hidden his support for Crawford, put it bluntly: “You know I’m biased. I’ve got Crawford.” But what does Canelo’s nemesis think about the September 13 showdown?
Benavidez: Crawford better get a move on or Canelo will burn him
Just a few hours ago, David Benavidez joined Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo on their podcastPound 4 Pound with Kamaru & Henry on YouTube, where the trio addressed various boxing topics. Toward the end of the episode, the conversation naturally turned to the highly anticipated Crawford vs. Canelo fight
Triple C then posed the big question: “Could Terrence Crawford have a chance to beat Canelo?” The WBC light heavyweight champion, despite his complicated history with Canelo, offered a balanced and insightful perspective:
“I think if anyone has the chance, or rather the opportunity to beat Canelo, that is Terence Crawford,” he said. Why? Because “his intelligence is on another level. He is a great fighter and he is strong”. But the problem is that “it’s a lot of weight. And it didn’t cost him anything at 154 pounds, but the other guy was hitting him with good punches. So he felt the power at 154 pounds. Imagine going up to 160!”.
Henry Cejudo quickly stepped in to clarify who Benavidez was referring to. “Israil Madrimov?” he asked. Benavidez confirmed: “Yes. Madrimov is a good fighter. And then… you come up against a strong fighter like Canelo. So I think I wouldn’t be surprised if Terence Crawford won, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he lost either.”
That honest and objective answer caught Cejudo’s attention. Insisting further, he asked: “Yes. If Canelo wins, Canelo is most likely a finisher, will he finish someone like Terence Crawford?” Benavidez was unfazed
“That’s how you see what kind of dog they are. I think Terence Crawford, when he faced an opponent like Errol Spence, showed his level, what kind of dog he is. So, I just don’t know. You have to wait for these fights to unfold to see what happens, you know? I mean, he could get injured. That shit could activate him to come back strong, or I don’t know. I don’t know. We have to wait and see,” Benavidez said.
The 41-0 boxer may be smaller in natural build, but he actually has the height and reach advantage over Canelo Alvarez. Even so, the fact that the Omaha southpaw is moving up two divisions was something David Benavidez believed could pose a serious challenge. But would Benavidez consider moving up or down a division to face other boxers?
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