Eddie Hearn says there’s still a chance Canelo Alvarez will fight David Benavidez despite renewed speculation about a fight against pound-for-pound leader Terence Crawford.
Hearn, of Matchroom Promotions, remains skeptical about the Canelo-Crawford possibility, which resurfaced with comments from Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh, who told ESPN he wants to put together the proposed catchweight bout for a date in December or January.
“Canelo doesn’t think he’d get any credit for fighting Crawford,’’ Hearn said this week while in Phoenix, Arizona – Benavidez’ hometown – for a news conference promoting the Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez-Juan Francisco Estrada super-fly fight on June 29. “In my last conversation with Canelo, he told me that if he beat Crawford, people would just say: “So what? You’re the bigger guy. You’re supposed to beat him.”’
Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, re-ignited the Canelo-Crawford talk after Canelo retained his undisputed super-middleweight title last Saturday with a unanimous decision over Jaime Munguia in Las Vegas.
Alalshikh is behind Crawford’s jump from undisputed welterweight champion to junior middleweight on Aug. 3 against Israil Madrimov at BMO Stadium, the old Sports Arena in Los Angeles.
Fans are still demanding a Canelo-Benavidez fight. Canelo was cheered by a crowd of more than 17,000 after his solid decision win over Munguia at T-Mobile Arena. Then he was booed for his response to a question from Jim Gray when asked about the Benavidez possibility.
“If the money’s right, I can fight right now,” Canelo said without mentioning Benavidez, who was ringside. “I don’t give a shit. It’s only a matter of money at this point. Everybody is asking for everything.’’
Canelo has been asking for a lot. He has said he’ll fight Benavidez, but only for $150 million to $200 million.
It sounds like a prohibitive demand, perhaps just another way for Canelo to say that the Benavidez fight isn’t happening.
Hearn disagrees.
“Canelo is just throwing some numbers out there, seeing if somebody will meet his price,’’ says Hearn, a former Canelo promoter.
Benavidez is already in training for his light-heavyweight debut against former champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk on a June 15 card featuring a Tank Davis-Frank Martin clash at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.
“I want to make my own lane at 175 pounds and that’s what I’m about to do,’’ said the 27-year-old Benavidez, a former two-time super-middleweight champion.
However, Benavidez has not eliminated the Canelo possibility.
He said he would go back down to 168 pounds for a shot at Canelo, who is expected to be back in the ring in September.
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