Pound-for-pound king Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) is gearing up to ring in the Cinco de Mayo weekend with a sensational showdown against the Mexican phenom Jaime Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs). The fight, which will see the champ defend his undisputed super middleweight title for the fourth time, has undoubtedly piqued the interest of the boxing world, with many siding with Alvarez. However, his long-time rival David Benavidez (28-0, 24 KOs) believes Munguia has the right skill set to take down the Guadalajaran.
A fight between Benavidez and Alvarez has long been in the books, but there is little to no sign that this showdown will take place anytime soon. ‘El Bandera Roja’ was recently interviewed by Sean Zittel. In conversation, he was asked about the potential outcome of the Alvarez vs Benavidez showdown.
“I don’t think it’s going to be an easy fight. Munguia is a strong fighter. He’s a combination puncher, and if you see the fighters that give Canelo problems, they’re combination punchers,” he said.
Benavidez also mentioned that Munguia should tread carefully during the fight and be wary of avoiding punishment from Alvarez. “The only thing Munguia has to do is keep his distance. He can’t be on the inside against Canelo because that’s what Canelo thrives at. He loves throwing body shots. He will find you. So, he has to keep his distance, punch in combinations, and get away,” he said.
Benavidez further stated that if Munguia is successful in avoiding punches it would certainly take a heavy toll on Alvarez’s performance. Moreover, he was also all praise for the sheer power behind Munguia’s punches. “It’s going to be interesting. I don’t think it’s going to be easy like people say it is. Munguia is a tough fighter,” he added.
“Brings Nothing To The Table”
Canelo vs Benavidez is one fight that the super middleweight division is yearning to witness. While many have accused Alvarez of ducking Benavidez to fight Munguia, he revealed that the fight had nothing new to offer him.
“[Benavidez] brings nothing to the table for me. He brings just 25 pounds more on that night. That’s it. It’s not him because he has nothing to offer me, anything. I’m the one,” he said during his kickoff presser. “But if one promoter who I work with comes and offers me $150 million to $200 million, I’ll fight tomorrow. That’s the only reason I would fight with him because the only thing he brings to the table is 25 pounds.”
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