If the undisputed 168-pound champion from Mexico was impressed by the latest performance from David Benavidez, he did not show it during a recent media workout ahead of his title defense against John Ryder May 6 at Akron Stadium in his hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico.
Fans have been clamoring for a matchup between the two super middleweights for years, and the noise reached a crescendo after Phoenix, Arizona’s Benavidez thoroughly battered Caleb Plant over 12 rounds last Saturday at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Plant controlled the early rounds, but the tide quickly turned in the second half of the fight, when Benavidez began to assert himself on the inside.
After the fight, Benavidez, who was dubbed The Mexican Monster by no less a personage than Mike Tyson, called out his countryman Alvarez to a fight. Alvarez stopped Plant inside 11 rounds in their title bout in November 2021. (Benavidez is half Ecuadorian).
The 32-year-old Alvarez, who is coming off a clear points win over rival Gennadiy Golovkin in their trilogy bout last September, made it clear he was not intimidated by Benavidez or the perception that the 26-year-old is a legitimate threat to him. Alvarez pointed out that he has fought a number of fighters in the past who were considered to be “monsters,” such as Erislandy Lara and Golovkin.
“Everybody say the same thing,” Alvarez told a group of reporters from his San Diego gym. “Before I fought with Golovkin, [people were saying], ‘Wow, he’s a monster. He’s gonna knock out Canelo, this and out. At the end of the day, being in the ring with other fighters isn’t like being in the ring with me. It’s different.”
In an interview with FightHubTV, Alvarez was asked if he thinks Benavidez is a tougher fight than one with Dmitry Bivol, the light heavyweight titlist who defeated Alvarez by unanimous decision last spring. Alvarez has been adamant about wanting to face Bivol again later this year.
“I don’t know,” Alvarez answered. “I need to find out, right? What I already experienced, Bivol is a great fight, a top fight. Benavidez? We don’t know. We need to find out.
Alvarez, who had Benavidez defeating Plant, thought their fight went according the way he envisioned, with Plant winning the early rounds and Benavidez coming on strong in the second half.
In other words, Benavidez looks “good”, not “great.”
“He’s a good fighter,” Alvarez said of Benavidez, adding, “He’s a good fighter, but look, I’m a great fighter.”
By Sean Nam