Andre Ward has said Canelo Alvarez’s legacy will be damaged if he does not fight David Benavidez.
The Undisputed Super Middleweight Champion will face Jaime Munguia on May 4. While it is an all-Mexican showdown against an undefeated fighter, it is not the bout that boxing fans were hoping for. Benavidez is the current WBC Super Middleweight Interim Champion, a position he has held for around two years.
The Mexican Monster is also undefeated and is seen as the biggest threat to Canelo’s reign. But talks over a fight have not resulted in an agreement. Benavidez’s side has accused Canelo of ducking, stating he had agreed to take $5 million to make the fight. But Canelo’s camp have stated that no official offer was made. Alvarez may be a four-division champion, but Ward was clear that Canelo’s legacy would be questioned if he did not face Benavidez.
Ward On Canelo
“Absolutely. In terms of his resume, you can look at the opponents that he fought, and people say, ‘He fought this name and that name.’ Where did he fight that name when he fought them? He’s 32 and coming off two losses. He’s 35. 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 knocking the hustle, 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 everybody else has got to fight the best. Canelo is a really good fighter, but you don’t know how good you are until you fight the other best. You shouldn’t fight top guys every fight out. That’s not wise, and that’s not safe,” Ward said
Canelo’s only losses have come against Floyd Mayweather and Dmitry Bivol. In both of those fights, Canelo was comprehensively beaten. However, Mayweather and Bivol are some of the best fighters who have graced the sport, showing there is no shame in losing to them. Munguia is also not an option that should be taken lightly.
De La Hoya Reacts
He is a former world champion at Junior Middleweight, showing he has what it takes to win at the top level. The Mexican is also undefeated, with a record of 43-0, which includes 34 knockouts. The boxer has four knockouts in his previous five bouts.
His last win was a stoppage over John Ryder. Munguia dropped the Brit four times before stopping him in round nine. That was something Canelo did not do, which was all the more impressive since Ryder retired. Oscar De La Hoya was looking forward to the fight.
“May 4th, it finally got done. I’ve been asking for this forever. A Mexican showdown of Canelo vs. Munguia. First of all, thank you, Amazon, PBC, Golden Boy family, Zanfer Promotions, Canelo-Munguia. Thank you,” De La Hoya stated
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