Despite all of his accolades, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez has been accused of running “scared” and denying boxing fans the fight they “deserve”.
Having become a four-weight world champion, the 35-year-old has already cemented his legacy as a future Hall of Famer and one of the greatest Mexican fighters in history.
Even at this late stage in his career, though, there remains a desire to compete at the highest level and seek further challenges.
This much was evident during his showdown with Terence Crawford last September, when Canelo lost a unanimous decision but nonetheless showed glimpses of world-class flair.
He now appears determined to reclaim a portion of his undisputed super-middleweight crown on September 12, when he is set to enter a world title fight in Saudi Arabia.
Among the names being mentioned for such an occasion is Christian Mbilli, who was elevated from ‘interim’ to full WBC super-middleweight champion following Crawford’s retirement.
But while Mbilli represents a solid opponent, many will find it difficult to forget Canelo’s lack of enthusiasm for a clash with David Benavidez.
While the current WBC light-heavyweight champion was still campaigning at 168lbs, he repeatedly called for a shot at the Mexican but was never presented with such an opportunity.
For that reason, Benavidez struggles to see their fight ever materialising, telling Come And Talk 2 Me that he believes Canelo has actively avoided him.
“He’s scared – he has no balls. That’s what it is. I give Canelo all the respect – he’s done everything he’s done – but, at the end of the day, I was the No.1 contender in two weight classes for a long, long time.
“He has shown that he doesn’t want to fight me. It’s really a shame because this is a fight everybody wants to see. This is a fight that the fans deserve.
“I believe in myself and my skills 100%, so I feel like, if he says he’s the baddest man on the planet… why not give the fans what they want to see?”
Given that Benavidez’s next outing will see him challenge unified cruiserweight champion Gilberto Ramirez on May 2, it is becoming increasingly less likely that he will ever collide with Canelo, though a promise to return to light-heavyweight, given Canelo has competed in that division twice before, leaves fans some hope.
