Benavidez Responds To Canelo’s Jibe – ‘I Would Slap Him’

Benavidez is currently preparing to take on Oleksandr Gvozdyk for the WBC Interim Light Heavyweight Title on June 15. The Mexican Monster knows that a win makes him mandatory for the winner of Dmitry Bivol vs. Artur Beterbiev, who will fight for the Undisputed Light Heavyweight Title once Beterbiev returns from injury. Benavidez did not take Canelo’s antics too kindly. 

Benavidez On Canelo

“It didn’t seem like an aggressive thing at all… It could have been more than that, but it wasn’t. It seemed more like he was taunting me, telling me to get on with him. At the end of the day I want to be respectful, because I wouldn’t want him to get in the ring after one of my fights, because I would slap him. He wouldn’t have dared to do it to me. And they wouldn’t have let me get in anyway,” Benavidez said 

Canelo looks more likely to box Terence Crawford rather than Edgar Berlanga. The Saudis are keen on making that fight, which fits into Crawford’s narrative of wanting to become a three-weight undisputed champion. Canelo may take that fight instead of Benavidez, which would be considered a compromise. Despite the weight disparity, Crawford is seen as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

Oleksandr Usyk has shown it is possible to beat a much bigger man. The Undisputed Heavyweight Champion was 40 pounds lighter than Tyson Fury and had a seven-inch reach disadvantage. And yet, he was on the verge of stopping Fury. Canelo has previously said he would get no credit for beating a 147 fighter. But Crawford has since then moved up to 154.

Canelo vs. Crawford

He will box Israil Madrimov for the WBA Junior Middleweight Title on August 3. If he wins, he becomes a four-division champion. Canelo has fought boxers, who have moved up two weight classes. He beat Jermall Charlo, the former undisputed champion at 154, who moved up two weight classes to face him. While Canelo did not stop Charlo, it was a one-sided fight. He may fancy his chances against Crawford if the money is right. Crawford’s trainer, Brian McIntyre, has backed his fighter to emerge victorious. 

“Bud outboxes him. [Weight] don’t matter. Bud’s been fighting bigger people all his life. We know how to roll with punches, we know how to take your power. We can take your power away from you. How do you take the power away from a puncher? Timing. It would be Errol Spence-Crawford II…The real boxing fans know Bud can beat Canelo. He might be bigger, but he don’t got the height, he don’t got the reach. He’s got a good boxing IQ, but he doesn’t have that crazy IQ that Terence has,” McIntyre stated