David Benavidez Gives Up On Canelo Alvarez Chase…What now?

On Wednesday, reports surfaced that Mexican superstar and unified super middleweight champ Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is finalizing details for a bout with Edgar Berlanga on September 14 in Las Vegas. That same day, the WBC announced that Canelo’s consensus no. 1 contender David Benavidez had officially decided to move up to light heavyweight.

The 27-year-old Benavidez held interim titles in both the super middleweight and light heavyweight divisions and was given a period of time by the Mexico City-based sanctioning body to decide in which weight class he was going to compete. “The Mexican Monster” picked up the 175 lb. interim strap this past June when he decisioned former world titlist Oleksandr Gvozdyk.

With a Canelo fight not in the foreseeable future, the undefeated two-time world champ decided to give up a fruitless chase that has already gone on for nearly four years.

“The WBC has just received a letter from @SampsonBoxing exclusive promoter of @Benavidez300
confirming that David Benavidez will continue his career as Light heavyweight,” wrote WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman via Twitter/X. “He is confirmed as WBC 175 interim champion and is the mandatory contender for the winner Beterbiev vs Bivol.”

The WBC has just received a letter from @SampsonBoxing exclusive promoter of @Benavidez300 confirming that David Benavidez will continue his career as Lightheavyweight . He is confirmed as WBC 175 interim champion and is the mandatory contender for the winner Beterbiev vs Bivol

— Mauricio Sulaiman (@wbcmoro) July 23, 2024

The pressure fighter originally from Phoenix, Arizona has been coming to terms with the fact that Alvarez simply doesn’t want to fight him. However, dominant wins over Caleb Plant and Demetrius Andrade and Alvarez aligning himself with Benavidez’s boxing company of choice, PBC, gave hope that the fight could be pushed through.

But the 34-year-old Alvarez has held firm on his unwillingness to meet the long-time consensus no. 1 challenger to his 168 lb. throne.

“All I see is that Benavidez weighs 25 or 30 pounds more than I do on the day of the fight,” Alvarez told reporters back in May. “I have no problem with that, but if you want me to fight with him it’s $200 million.”

A World Without Canelo-Benavidez

So, Canelo moves ahead with plans for what should be a much easier, less complicated challenge from Berlanga and Benavidez goes to 175 where he’ll supposedly have first dibs on the winner of the Dmitry Bivol-Artur Beterbiev light heavyweight unification clash slated for October.

Benavidez’s promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz, relayed his client’s take on matters via Twitter/X, through Boxingscene’s Lance Pugmire.

“Told by @SampsonBoxing that @Benavidez300 is moving to 175 as the mandatory to Bivol-Beterbiev,” Pugmire tweeted, “because ‘he wants to create his own legacy. He doesn’t want to waste any more time with Canelo. He wants to make his own path.’”

Told by @SampsonBoxing that @Benavidez300 is moving to 175 as the mandatory to Bivol-Beterbiev because “he wants to create his own legacy. He doesn’t want to waste any more time with Canelo. He wants to make his own path.” Assured by @wbcmoro he gets Bivol-Beterbiev winner next.

— Lance Pugmire (@pugboxing) July 23, 2024

Back in February, Benavidez talked about his pursuit of the Mexican cash cow, well aware that the big ticket bout was probably not ever going to happen.

“Canelo Doesn’t Want It To Happen”

“I’m not going to be waiting on Canelo,” he told ESPN. “After I fight Canelo, my career doesn’t end.

“It’s frustrating, but it gives me a bad name at the end of the day, too…The reason why this fight is not happening is because Canelo doesn’t want it to happen, plain and simple.

“I mean, the money is there, the anticipation from the fight fans is there. It would be an amazing event…I don’t need Canelo. I mean, the only reason people fight Canelo is for a payday…The thing I cared about was the opportunity…”

Benavidez moving to light heavyweight makes for another player in a division dominated by Beterbiev and Bivol, but in need of some new blood.

Joining Benavidez at 175 will be Cuban sensation David Morrell, the WBA “regular” super middleweight titlist who is also defecting from 168 in the absence of any path to Canelo. The 26-year-old Morrell will be taking on Radivoje Kalajdzic August 3 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles for the vacant WBA “regular” light heavyweight title on the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov undercard.

A Benavidez-Morrell bout could be in the works if Benavidez can’t get a crack at the Beterbiev-Bivol winner or if the big unification bout gets delayed once again.