After losing his super middleweight crown to Terence Crawford in September, Canelo Alvarez may soon get another chance to chase greatness and this time at light heavyweight. Now, David Benavidez, the WBC light heavyweight champion, has publicly invited him to move up to 175 pounds and challenge for his title.
Canelo, a former two-time undisputed champion, reclaimed his super middleweight throne earlier this year by defeating William Scull, only to see it slip away against Crawford in a one-sided unanimous decision. While speculation has long surrounded a potential clash between Alvarez and Benavidez, the fight has yet to materialize - largely due to Canelo’s hesitation to engage with his younger rival.
Watch Canelo vs. Crawford highlights.
Benavidez has solidified himself at light heavyweight with victories over Oleksandr Gvozdyk and David Morrell, and will defend his title against Anthony Yarde on November 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Still, the champion insists that a showdown with Alvarez remains possible. “I haven’t given up complete hope in that fight,” Benavidez said. “Until he retires, there’s always going to be a possibility of that fight being made.”
With Alvarez beltless at 168 and Benavidez holding gold at 175, the challenge now appears to be on the table. “At the end of the day, what other fights are left for Canelo?” Benavidez continued. “He says he’s chasing greatness. He did what he did at 168, so why not come up to 175 and do the same thing?”
While Benavidez focuses on Yarde and his ambition to collect all the belts at light heavyweight, fans may already be looking ahead to the prospect of one of the sport’s biggest possible matchups.
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