Did Benavidez’s Trash Talk Cost Him The Canelo Fight?

Jose Benavidez Sr. says his son, David Benavidez, would put Canelo Alvarez in the hospital, but has that trash talk cost them the fight. 

Canelo, who once had Benavidez as his WBC mandatory challenger at 168, never accepted the fight, asking for $150–200 million for the bout. The WBC neither ordered the bout nor stripped Canelo of his title. Benavidez moved up to 175, where he became the WBC Light Heavyweight Champion. Despite the weight jump, Canelo vs. Benavidez remains one of boxing’s biggest fights. Canelo’s last performance against William Scull led to suggestions that Alvarez was on the decline. Alvarez will face Terence Crawford next, but Benavidez Sr. says Canelo ‘is no longer the same.’ 

Benavidez Sr.

“There’s no way he’ll fight David Benavidez. He doesn’t want to fight him. He’s a young fighter. Super strong, getting better, and he’s proving himself to be a top elite fighter. His [Canelo] body is not responding. I think it’ll be bad for boxing for David Benavidez to fight Canelo Alvarez. To be honest, he will send him to the hospital. The body is not the same anymore. I believe that fight will never happen,” Benavidez Sr. said

Canelo has been vocal about Benavidez’s disrespect as one of the reasons why he did not take that fight. However, Alvarez has been called out for doing the same towards the boxing fanbase. Canelo ultimately chose to box Edgar Berlanga when the Benavidez fight was on the table. The fight received mass backlash, with Berlanga failing to offer any threat. And yet, Alvarez could still not stop his man. 

Canelo has also repeatedly downplayed Benavidez’s achievements. The Mexican Monster is a two-weight world champion, winning belts at 168 and 175. Benavidez also defeated the biggest names in the division at 168, leaving Canelo as the clear target. Wins over Caleb Plant and Demetrius Andrade, the latter whom Canelo failed to fight, showed Benavidez was facing the best. While the appetite is still there for the fight, fans may have missed out on this one.