David Benavidez has made it as clear as possible: he is the most qualified challenger to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez’s supremacy as the undisputed super middleweight champion.
If Alvarez gets past Benavidez, the undefeated contender advises fight fans to draw their own conclusions about the tenacity and priorities of Mexico’s popular four-division champion.
“When you win an undisputed title, you have to maintain the standard, especially as a boxing star,” former welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi said on ProBox TV’s “Deep Waters” on Tuesday. “You should accept all comers.”
Malignaggi was responding to the suggestion that Alvarez, who turns 34 next month, is following the path set by the sport’s former most popular fighter, Floyd Mayweather Jr., who spent five agonizing years failing to agree to a fight with Manny Pacquiao that he was willing to performed in 2010.
Before it happened in 2015, Mayweather was vindicated because the fight set an all-time record for pay-per-view buys – 4.6 million – and generated total revenues of more than $600 million, becoming the most successful single-day sporting event decades.
“Mayweather did it later [in his career]; he has done so much before,’ like meeting many real contenders, including Arturo Gatti, Diego Corrales and twice Jose Luis Castillo,” Malignaggi said.
While Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KO) certainly has the right to let expectations and finances boost after the Benavidez fight – Canelo has said he will take the fight for between $150 million and $200 million – he does so under threat of criticism.
Malignaggi was there to deliver it on the day Alvarez made what appeared to be a waiver for IBF mandatory challenger William Scull, which apparently left him free to fight WBA mandatory challenger Edgar Berlanga on September 14.
An official connected to the events told BoxingScene: “I wouldn’t say that [scenario] is incorrect,” and Alvarez can confirm the details when he is ready.
“It’s just an ordinary duck,” Malignaggi said. “Floyd Mayweather has never had an attack like this.
“Canelo set the standard at 168 pounds. He defeated all the champions. He deserves respect, but get your act together, brother. It’s your responsibility.”
After winning a unanimous decision to capture the interim WBC airy heavyweight title over former champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk on Saturday night, Benavidez (29-0, 24 KO) is expected to risk relinquishing the belt while remaining the WBC mandatory challenger to Alvarez.
Benavidez has been in this position for over two years and, according to his promoter Sampson Lewkowicz, he is expected to sign and deliver an appeal letter to the WBC within a week.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman told BoxingScene last week that he needed to receive the letter to consider his next step. While Lewkowicz and Benavidez would like Sulaiman to pressure Alvarez to accept the mandatory WBC title or risk losing the belt, Sulaiman said he admires pursuing a title shot and having undisputed status.
“In each case, we have been very open in trying to get the fighter undisputed and remain undisputed,” Sulaiman said, explaining that he only changed the title to undisputed welterweight champion Terence Crawford because Crawford wanted to move up to junior middleweight for August competition 3 fight with WBA champion Israil Madrimov. “We did everything possible in all weight classes.”
Lewkowicz said he’s not sure Sulaiman will strip Alvarez of the 168-pound belt if Berlanga is the choice. “We’ll see what decision the WBC will make,” Lewkowicz said.
On “Deep Waters,” Hall of Fame analyst Teddy Atlas said Benavidez’s move also has a financial reason to choose the fight that best suits him.
“He’s not opening the door to the Canelo fight [because] that’s a lot of money,” Atlas said. “It takes [Saudi Arabia’s] Turki Alalshikh comes with so much money. No one else will come with the money Canelo wants.
Benavidez also knows that an undisputed airy heavyweight title fight between undefeated Russian champions Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol is on the schedule on Oct. 12 – an elite fight that could easily lead to a rematch, leaving the title unavailable for most of the year. .
“Two exceptional airy heavyweights with speed, power, technique and everything,” Atlas said. “Two monsters are waiting there.”
Malignaggi said he believes Benavidez will eventually make 175 pounds, but it’s wise to apply this time to “clearly and clearly show the morons that Canelo can still fight him.”
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