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Days After a Narrow Victory Over John Ryder, Canelo Alvarez Receives a Fresh Challenge From David Benavidez

Published 05/12/2023, 7:45 AM EDT

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In the 168 lbs division, David Benavidez is convinced that salvation lies at the doorsteps of ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. His first title defense since becoming the WBC’s interim Super Middleweight champion saw him tear down Caleb Plant on March 25. Of course, the division offers other alternatives, such as the upcoming talent David Morrell. But the Arizonian believes that fighting against one of the biggest names in boxing would seal a legacy and prove a perfect stepping board to move a division above.

After his unanimous decision victory over Plant, the world saw David Benavidez giving an open call to ‘Canelo’ Alvarez during the post-fight interview. But it seems the undisputed Mexican champion, who is well aware of the frequent clamor, has other plans in mind. Per reports, the first and foremost item on his bucket list is avenging the loss to Dmitry Bivol. But, more so, he seems adamant about a principle he has been espousing of late.

Let’s fight for God’s Sake! – David Benavidez

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Several times, Alvarez has stated that he won’t be fighting a fellow Mexican. According to him, he represents his home country, Mexico. However, if his record is closely scrutinized, it reveals that he has fought against other Mexican boxers. But after the 2017 bout against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., ‘Canelo’ Alvarez hasn’t fought a single compatriot. So yesterday, once again, through his Instagram handle, Benavidez spoke out, persuading Alvarez, “Let’s give the people what they want to see.” Michael Benson shared a screenshot of the post and wrote, “David Benavidez calling for the Canelo Alvarez fight on Instagram today….

It was the handle @boxing_worldwide 1 that had initially shared Benavidez and Alvarez’s pics with a caption that reads, “🇲🇽 Canelo Alvarez vs. 🇲🇽🇺🇸 David Benavidez for the undisputed super-middleweight championship of the world – who wins and how? ⁉️”👀🤔👇

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On his part, Benavidez has mentioned that when he’s not even 100% Mexican, there shouldn’t be an issue for Alvarez. Speaking to Fight Hype, he once said, “To be honest, I feel like I’m Mexican and Ecuadorian, but I was born in the US. [So] I feel like he’s just talking about his countrymen, people from Mexico. I get a lot of criticism, too, people saying, ‘he’s American, not Mexican.’ That comment Canelo made, it’s not for me. I’m not 100% Mexican. I’m Mexican and Ecuadorian and was born in the US.

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Now that he’s done with John Ryder, a clash with Bivol seems imminent in Alvarez’s mind. Since Eddie Hearn‘s Matchroom Sport promotes both, the likeliness of a fight remains high. But fans are asking, what’s next after Bivol? David Benavidez strongly believes that the way he is going, claiming one victory after the other, sooner or later, will checkmate Alvarez into the ring with only him left to fight. But, of course, fans wouldn’t mind that either way.

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What’s your take on Benividez’s call out to Alvarez? Do you think it should happen? Do share your views and opinions with us in the comments below.

Watch This Story: Five Fascinating Facts About David Benavidez

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Written by:

Jaideep R Unnithan

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Jaideep Unnithan is a Boxing writer at EssentiallySports. With over 400 articles authored at ES, Jaideep has built a reputation for diving deep into stories and producing detailed reports. Jaideep's passion for the sport of boxing was ignited when his father shared his experience of watching Ali vs Frazier live in the US.
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Edited by:

Shibu Immanuel