I don’t see Canelo Alvarez beating David Benavidez, says Demetrius Andrade

Former junior middleweight and middleweight beltholder Demetrius Andrade says it will be difficult for Canelo Alvarez to beat David Benavidez – should they ever fight.

Andrade, of Rdode Island, who held the WBO’s 154- and 160-pounds belts between 2013 and 2021, believes Arizona’s Benavidez has a brighter chance of winning a potential contest against the legendary Mexican fighter Alvarez.

Having lost to in his last ring outing, Andrade said the Arizona native would have so many advantages going into a fight with Alvarez.

“Canelo is not beating him. I don’t see how Canelo is beating him,” said Andrade during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “Canelo is smaller and I was able to push David around a few rounds, do what I had to do, whatever with that weight and his length. And he knows how to throw punches in bunches. It’s gonna be a hard task for Canelo and then David is not somebody that’s gonna let up on you either. 

“And because he’s big and long, he can protect himself. How can you score such a guy being a big powerful puncher to, like, win and tear him down? Canelo is a good fighter. I have nothing against Canelo as far as his boxing.”

Superstar Alvarez, 62-2-2 (39 KOs), is yet to show any interest in fighting Benavidez, 29-0 (24 KOs) despite being continuously called out by the American. The neglect forced Benavidez to move up to 175 to face Oleksandr Gvozdyk, whom he decisioned in 12 rounds to win the WBC interim title six months ago.

Benavidez’s decision to move out of the super middleweight division was intensified when Alvarez opted to face Jaime Munguia in May rather than giving him an opportunity. Andrade related Benavidez’s frustration in what he described as being overlooked by Alvarez.

“I do have things against him as far as, like, why he’d be talking shit to me, somebody that became a two-division world champion. Basically, I fought David Benavidez trying to get all the big fights. It’s like, why are you giving these other opportunities to these guys that has really never done anything? Doesn’t make sense to me.

“But that’s his word, his opinion on that. I don’t think Canelo’s beating David. I don’t think anybody clearly, nobody at 168 right now beating him.”

When asked if he thinks Benavidez can stop Alvarez, Andrade said: “I mean, if you watch David’s fights, that’s he’s punches and punches. He usually does that. He usually gets to over overwhelm you. Plus, he has up to 168 pounds. He walks in that ring big.

“You were when he fought the 175 guy. David’s a big boy. He’s got a lot of ways he can put up. His body frame, no muscle. He’s one of them freaking genetic kids. Like, no muscle, power, speed, and then he can put the weight on easily. Take it off the right way through training certain people, and then was he whoop, just rolled right back up.”

Bernard Neequaye is a sports journalist with a specialty in boxing coverage. He wrote a boxing column titled “From The Ringside” in his native Ghana for years. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) at @BernardNeequaye, LinkedIn at Bernard Neequaye and through email at [email protected]