Canelo Álvarez snubs Benavidez again: “Beterbiev is a bigger challenge”
Mexican boxer Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez once again snubbed David Benavidez after pointing out that it is a greater challenge for him to face Artur Beterbiev.
One of the fights that has boxing fans licking their chops for in 2024 is David Benavidez vs Canelo Álvarez. The Mexican pound for pound king, however, seems less than enthusiastic about the idea.
During a meeting with the media, Álvarez dismissed the possibility of a matchup with Benavidez saying that he is more interested in a matchup with Artur Beterbiev.
When a reporter asked which of the two would be the more interesting to him, Canelo immediately shot back, “Beterbiev, because he is a champion. He has something to offer me, he is strong, he is at a different weight. There are many things, many things.”
Beterbiev is not interested
It would seem to be a curious position from Canelo, knowing as he must that he would stand almost zero chance against the hammer-fisted Russian. Luckily for Álvarez, it would seem that Beterbiev has no interest in making the fight a reality.
“When Canelo beat Kovalev and he had a light heavyweight belt, I was interested. But the moment he stopped having it, I was no longer interested in fighting him,” said Beterbiev.
Artur Beterbiev knocked out Callum Smith in seven rounds just last week, and everything points toward a unification bout with Dmitry Bivol, who has the World Boxing Association belt, the only light heavyweight belt not in Beterbiev’s possession.