Munguia’s biggest problem is that the super middleweight division is filled with risky fighters that fans expect him to face before anyone will accept him as the next Mexican superstar.

Osleys Iglesias, Christian Mbilli, Diego Pacheco, Hamzah Sheeraz and Benavidez are viewed as legitimate threats in the 168 or nearby weight classes. Unlike Canelo, Munguia doesn’t have built-in popularity over the years or a long championship streak that would shield him from criticism if he avoids these types of fights.

The reality became even harsher after Munguia’s knockout loss to Bruno Surace in December 2024. Although Munguia gained revenge for the defeat, critics still see the first fight as a major red flag, as Surace was viewed as a beatable opponent at the time.

Munguia returned later that month to defeat Armando Resendiz to win the WBA belt, but many fans still don’t consider his record mighty enough to overtake Benavidez as Canelo’s likely successor.

The discussion can only intensify depending on what happens on September 12, when Canelo will face Christian Mbilli in Riyada. Mbilli is younger, aggressive, throws combinations non-stop and is viewed by many fans as one of the most risky fighters at 168. Canelo’s defeat will likely accelerate the debate over who will truly be the next large Mexican boxing star.

“When we were both 168 pounds, I fought every champion in that division. Why didn’t he ever fight those champions? If he was the champion at that point, I fight him.

My goal was to be undisputed. At the moment this is simply impossible. He can fight heavyweights,” Canelo said @InsideRingShow.

The clarification was immediately met with criticism from fans, many of whom noted that Benavidez had only moved up one weight class to 175 pounds after years of chasing a super middleweight fight.

Others have noted that Canelo himself has already moved up to lightweight heavyweight in the past for fights with Dmitry Bivol and Sergei Kovalev. Terence Crawford also jumped two divisions from 154 to 168 after his recent fight with Canelo, leaving some fans unable to accept the size argument.

Benavidez maintained interim status with the WBC for years, repeatedly calling for a fight with Canelo at 168 pounds. Instead, Canelo went in different directions, fighting opponents such as Edgar Berlanga, Jaime Munguia, John Ryder and William Scull.

Now that Benavidez has won the titles at 175, Canelo argues that the fight no longer makes sense due to the weight difference. For many fans, the timing of this explanation will only reignite the debate as to why the fight never happened while both fighters were still in the same division.