David Benavidez (31-0, 25 KOs) might be gearing up to face Gilberto Ramirez (48-1, 30 KOs) on Saturday. However, there is one long, drawn-out fight that sticks out like a sore thumb in his mind, his potential showdown against Canelo Alvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs).
Talking to DAZN, Benavidez revealed that he doesn’t see the Alvarez fight ever taking place.
“A Canelo fight was out of reach. I think you guys know that Canelo doesn’t want that fight. The reason why I took this fight with Zurdo Ramirez is because I wasn’t able to get the fight with Dmitry Bivol either,” he said. “That fight is why I put all this work in, because that fight was for all the titles. So, for me to just stay around and to fight a Callum Smith or a Buatsi or even fight a Beterbiev for no title, I think it made sense for me to go and chase the accolades.”
Benavidez spent years calling out Alvarez, and for a while, it was probably the most talked-about super middleweight fight that never happened. What played into this lack of finalization? Timing, risk, and business. He was seen as the high-risk, low-reward opponent and not the biggest commercial draw compared to Canelo’s other options. At the same time, Benavidez hurt his own position a bit by losing his WBC belt twice outside the ring (once on the scale, once due to suspension), which meant he couldn’t force the fight as a mandatory when Canelo became undisputed at 168. Meanwhile, Canelo went after legacy fights and more financially secure matchups, while Benavidez kept building his case by beating top contenders. Eventually, like everything else, the window at 168 just passed.
While he might be fighting at cruiserweight currently, Benavidez still hasn’t forgotten the 175 division.
“After I win the belts, I’m coming back down and still looking for these fights at 175. My goal isn’t to leave 175. My goal is just to make a bigger fight at cruiserweight, come back down, and then win the belts at 175,” he said.
“Goes To War”
Meanwhile, Benavidez is certainly excited for his upcoming fight. Talking at their recent presser, he stated that he is ready for war.
“I’m very excited for this. I’ve been training extremely hard. I got five months in this training camp because I know Zurdo Ramirez is a great fighter and a great champion. We’ve done a lot of rounds with him,” he said. “I know he’s going to come to fight. Big respect to these guys (points to Ramirez’s team). They’re all great dudes. With that being said, it’s time to go to war. And when David Benavidez goes to war, he doesn’t shy away from anything.”
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