Andre Ward, former world champion and boxing commentator, believes that the legacy of Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez He will be affected if he does not face David Benavídez or the best in the super middleweight division where he holds all four belts.
In an interview with the YouTube channel Breakfast Club Power, Ward expressed that Canelo Álvarez He has chosen his opponents very well during his career and at times when those fighters were no longer at the top, so the undefeated Benavídez represents a threat to him.
“Absolutely (not fighting Benavídez will affect his legacy). In terms of his resume, you can look at the opponents he fought (…) he is 32 years old and coming off two losses. He is 35 years old. When he fought Kovalev, Kovalev was cooked. He wasn’t ‘The Krusher’, he wasn’t the undefeated guy. He had lost that. I’m not criticizing, but you lose me when you start saying, ‘I’m the best fighter in the world.’ You lose me when you don’t fight the best, but you say that everyone else has to fight the best“, said.
“Canelo is a really good fighter, but You don’t know how good you are until you fight the other better. You shouldn’t fight the best every fight. That is not wise and it is not safe. You need tune-up fights. You need those kinds of fights, but when most of your fights are like that. Come on, man,” he added.
It should be noted that for more than two years David Benavídez has sought in every possible way to attract the attention of the four-division Mexican champion, but he has never had a response. Although fans and many experts in the sport would like to see this great fight, Canelo Álvarez has not shown any real interest and the World Boxing Council has also not enforced the regulations to order the fight.
Mauricio Sulaimán, president of the WBC, had declared that the Guadalajara team and Benavídez’s team were in talks, but that they would not intervene until the month of March when the Mexican American would be mandatory and that they would let the promoters do their job. Shortly after it was announced that the Mexican Monster He will rise to 175 pounds to compete for the organization’s interim title against Oleksandr Gvozdyk and Jaime Munguía will be Canelo Álvarez’s rival on May 4, so that fight is far from happening.
Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez, 33, showed that He is still at the top and increased his legacy in the sport after beating Jermell Charlo by unanimous decision. The undisputed 168-pound champion has a record of 60 wins (39 by knockout), two losses and two draws in his career.
For his part, David Benavídez, interim WBC super middleweight champion, defeated Demetrius Andrade by technical knockout in the sixth round and will now move up to 175 pounds. The Mexican Monster He has a record of 28 wins, 24 of them on the fast track and no setbacks cas a professional.
Keep reading:
· Promoter of Jaime Munguía says that there is no rehydration clause, but there is a rematch with Canelo
· Jaime Munguía wants his fight against Canelo Álvarez to remain in the memory of boxing in Mexico
· “Mexicans to the war cry”: Canelo Álvarez makes his duel against Jaime Munguía official on May 4