Despite David Benavidez moving up from super-middleweight to light-heavy, he still wants to return for the long-awaited fight with Saul ‘Canelo‘ Alvarez.
The 27-year-old has long called for his shot at the undisputed champion and has the WBC mandatory slot to back that up. Despite that ranking and a huge appetite for the match-up from fans, Canelo hasn’t been overly interested in entertaining talks.
Should it finally happen, former unified welterweight champion Errol Spence has a firm prediction.
Speaking to ES News, Spence backed Benavidez to treat the bout with more importance and come out as winner.
“That’d be a great fight. I’d definitely go for Benavidez but it’d be a dope fight. Canelo got hella experience, iron chin, great combinations, but I think David Benavidez is just youthful, strong.
I think he’ll be 100% focused and dedicated for that fight. That’s the one right there for him. I feel like Canelo would just take it as any fight and I feel like David would take it like ‘this is my fight,’ So I go for David.”
Benavidez faces Ukraine’s Oleksandr Gvozdyk tonight on the Gervonta Davis-Frank Martin card tonight in Las Vegas with a win giving him the WBC Interim title at 175lbs and a mandatory shot at the winner of the undisputed showdown between Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev.
Canelo is expected to return in the second half of the year but is yet to name an opponent. Along with Benavidez he has a queue of mandatory challengers including the IBF’s William Scull and the WBA’s Edgar Berlanga.