Canelo Alvarez has once again confirmed that he will only agree to fight David Benavidez if he is paid $200 million.
The Mexican star says he doesn’t mind that Benavidez would outweigh him by 25 to 30 lbs on the night of the fight, but if he’s going to face him, his asking price is $200M. Unfortunately, there’s no one that is going to fork over that kind of cash for Canelo to fight Benavidez.
So, I think it would be a good idea for Benavidez to understand that he’s not going to get his payday against Canelo and take a different approach to his money pursuits.
It’s understandable on Canelo’s part to want that kind of money because Benavidez (28-0, 24 KOs) resembles a cruiserweight after rehydrating for his fights at super middleweight.
The Benavidez Obsession Needs to End
If Canelo is going to fight a guy essentially the stunt double of former IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia, he wants to be paid for it. I can’t blame Canelo one bit. Canelo deserves serious bank to fight a cruiserweight.
I don’t know if anyone can come up with the 200 million Canelo wants, but if not, the media and the fans need to stop talking about Benavidez as a potential opponent for Alvarez. It’s a waste of time.
“The only thing I see is that Benavidez is 25 lbs or 30 lbs heavier than me on the day of the fight. I have no problem with that, but if he wants me to fight him, it’s $200 million,” said Canelo Alvarez to the media at the Hole in One event, organized by golfer Lorena Ochoa.
Benavidez should stop whining to the media about Canelo not fighting him, and have some pride to focus on building his own legacy. It’s so pathetic the way Benavidez won’t get the hint and move on.
Where Benavidez Should Be Fighting
Benavidez has never fought anyone who was A-level or anywhere close to elite during his 11-year professional career. Out of all those years, the best name on Benavidez’s resume is 35-year-old Demetrius Andrade, a basically pumped-up 154-pounder on the steep downside of his career.
Benavidez should focus on fighting for the undisputed at light heavyweight, and then move up to cruiserweight or heavyweight to fight guys his own size, like Jai Opetaia.
With Benavidez’s size, he could easily fight Opetaia or move up to heavyweight to take on the big dogs in that division. Those guys would be willing to fight him, and he would no longer have to whine to the media all the time.
Canelo’s Focus: Fans and Fat Stacks
Canelo says he’d be interested in fighting in Saudi Arabia, but only if he’s paid double of what he normally gets for his fights. Other than that, he doesn’t see the point. His fan base is in the U.S and Mexico. It’s important that Canelo continue to fight in those countries to continue to stay on top rather than going overseas to a different country.
“If they pay me twice as much as I earn, yes, but if they are going to want to pay the same, why the hell,” said Canelo when asked about whether he’d be interested in fighting in Saudi Arabia.
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