Canelo thinks David Benavidez is good but says he is great

Canelo Alvarez has already heard it all.

The undisputed 168-pound champion from Mexico, who will defend his title against John Ryder on May 6 at Akron Stadium in his hometown of Guadalajara, did not exhibit any signs of being impressed by David Benavidez's most recent display during a recent media workout.

Fans have been calling for a fight between the two super middleweights for years, and the clamour peaked last Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas when Phoenix, Arizona's Benavidez comprehensively beat Caleb Plant over 12 rounds. Early on, Plant had the upper hand, but Benavidez's emergence on the inside in the second half of the fight rapidly changed the momentum.

After the fight, Mexican fighter Benavidez, dubbed The Mexican Monster by none other than Mike Tyson, challenged Alvarez to a fight.  Alvarez defeated Plant in just 11 rounds in November 2021 when they competed for the championship 

Alvarez, 32, who recently defeated Gennadiy Golovkin by unanimous decision in the third round of their trilogy fight last September, made it obvious he was not intimidated by Benavidez or the idea that the 26-year-old posed a real threat to him. Alvarez emphasised that he has previously faced several opponents who were regarded as "monsters," including Erislandy Lara and Golovkin.

“Everybody say the same thing,” Alvarez told a group of reporters from his San Diego gym. “Before I fought with Golovkin, [people were saying], ‘Wow, he’s a monster. He’s gonna knock out Canelo, this and out. At the end of the day, being in the ring with other fighters isn’t like being in the ring with me. It’s different.”

When asked if he thinks Benavidez is a tougher fight than one with Dmitry Bivol, the light heavyweight titlist who defeated Alvarez by unanimous decision last spring. Alvarez has been adamant about wanting to face Bivol again later this year. He replied

“I don’t know,” Alvarez answered. “I need to find out, right? What I already experienced, Bivol is a great fight, a top fight. Benavidez? We don’t know. We need to find out.

Alvarez, who had Benavidez defeating Plant, thought their fight went according the way he envisioned, with Plant winning the early rounds and Benavidez coming on strong in the second half.

In other words, Benavidez looks “good”, not “great.”

“He’s a good fighter,” Alvarez said of Benavidez, adding, “He’s a good fighter, but look, I’m a great fighter.”