Canelo Alvarez Should’ve Picked David Benavidez First Then Jaime Munguia, Says Mexican Icon

Published 04/15/2024, 3:28 PM EDT

Canelo Alvarez is ready to defend his undisputed super middleweight crown, but is he facing the toughest challenger available? For over a year, David Benavidez, the WBC interim champion, has been his mandatory, fuming over a shot never given. On May 4th, Alvarez will face Munguia at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for the super middleweight title. Canelo, for his part, has said this is a fight for all of Mexico. But is it?

Fireworks are promised during this Cinco de Mayo weekend fight. However, this still doesn’t look like the fight boxing fans deserved. Mexican boxing legend Juan Manuel Marquez offered an unexpected perspective.

Was Benavidez the real challenge Canelo dodged?

Canelo Alvarez’s upcoming fight against Jaime Munguia marks a shift in his strategy. Canelo Alvarez, typically averse to fighting fellow Mexicans since his 2017 bout against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., has made an exception for Jaime Munguia. This decision to fight Munguia has surprised many, including boxing legend Juan Manuel Marquez. When questioned about Canelo facing another opponent instead of Benavidez, Marquez replied, “I believe the first that Canelo needs to do is fight his mandatory in Benavidez.”

Marquez emphasized the champion’s responsibility: “When you’re the world champion, you have to fight with the best rival.” Nationality shouldn’t be a factor, insisted Marquez. “Whether that challenger is Mexican or not, you have to fight the best available.”

In this case, the “best available” challenger, according to Marquez, was David Benavidez and not Jaime Munguia. Benavidez, the WBC interim super middleweight champion, has been waiting for his shot for over a year. Marquez believed Canelo should have prioritized the mandatory challenger: “I think first it has to be Benavidez, and then it has to be Munguia… I think Jaime Munguia is a great fighter, but we have to respect the first in line, who is David Benavidez, who has earned and won the right to that fight.”

But the question is why did Canelo break his rule specifically for Munguia?

Canelo prioritizes Mexican pride over past preference

In a revealing interview with Fight Hub TV, Canelo opened up about this change. “I say that yeah, but sometimes you need to do it,” he admitted, acknowledging his past reservations. The importance of the fight’s timing and cultural impact was clear in his further explanation: “I think this fight with Jaime is gonna be very important for Mexico. Two Mexicans in the Cinco de Mayo weekend in Las Vegas, everybody watching us.”

He emphasized, “I think it’s big for Mexico, it’s big and I love being involved in this kind of fights and I’m proud to give this opportunity to Jaime Munguia.” As fans prepare to watch these two titans clash in Las Vegas, one must ponder: Does the spectacle of two Mexicans fighting on such a symbolic occasion outweigh the traditional competitive dynamics of boxing? What do you think makes a fight truly significant—is it the opponent’s ranking, or the story behind the bout?

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Written by:

Mrinal Mishra is a senior writer for Boxing at EssentiallySports. With over 1300+ articles to his name, Mrinal’s articles often find congratulatory mentions from boxing greats like Mia St. John.

Edited by:

Gokul Pillai