IT was almost inevitable that either David Benavidez or Jaime Munguia would be left feeling unhappy, or simply left out, if Saul “Canelo” Alvarez refused to invite them to his little Mexican-themed gathering on May 4 in Las Vegas.
He could, after all, only fight one opponent on that date and, even with the incentive of that opponent being Mexican, only one of his countrymen would receive the nod; that is, the golden ticket.
As it was, Alvarez in the end opted for Munguia, 43-0 (34). He explained the reasoning for this, as well as why he had reneged on a promise to never fight another Mexican, on Tuesday (March 19): “I know I said I wouldn’t fight another Mexican fighter. But someone respectful like Munguia, who earned this chance fight after fight giving his all… it’s something I’m glad we were able to make happen.
“Munguia is a disciplined guy. He really hits hard. He can be a power puncher and I like the challenges. I want to go after fighters who are like me and hungry like Munguia is and want to give their all inside the ring and give the fans the show they deserve.”
It makes sense, certainly, for Alvarez to fight a fellow Mexican on Cinco de Mayo weekend in Las Vegas. Yet by virtue of him choosing Munguia over Benavidez, now both the world and Benavidez want to know why. Benavidez, in particular, like a rejected mistress, wants to know what Munguia possesses that he doesn’t. He also wants to know why Alvarez can say he has “nothing to offer” and get away with this being deemed a viable excuse not to fight him.
Addressing Alvarez on social media, Benavidez, 28-0 (24), wrote: “If I have nothing to offer, why are you demanding you get 150-200 million to fight someone who isn’t worth anything? Hopefully after you make that 150 million you have enough left over to buy a pair of nuts.”
Chances are the reason why Alvarez ultimately decided to fight Munguia rather than Benavidez is simply because the fight against Munguia represents less of a risk. Most, including Benavidez, will be able to see this. Moreover, most, including Benavidez, will accept that the reason why fighters like Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, 60-2-2 (39), create legacies and make so much money is because they know when to fight certain opponents and when to claim they have “nothing to offer”. It’s all a matter of timing, you see. As always.
