Trainer Eddy Reynoso has poured cold water on any lingering hope of Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez facing David Benavidez, insisting that the window for the fight has now closed.
Calls for the clash have followed Canelo for several years, particularly while both men campaigned at super-middleweight, with Benavidez repeatedly pushing for the opportunity to challenge the Mexican superstar. Despite the demand from fans and Benavidez’s later position as WBC mandatory challenger, the fight never came together.
Canelo has remained at 168lbs and, according to Reynoso in a recent interview with Ring Magazine, plans to continue campaigning there as the division begins to offer up new options following his loss to Terence Crawford last year.
“We’re going to stay at super middleweight for now. The division is heating up, and we can really stay busy there for the foreseeable future.”
Benavidez, however, has since moved through light-heavyweight and up to cruiserweight, where he has established himself among the leading names at 200lbs with a win over Gilberto Ramirez to become unified champion. That change in weight appears to have ended any realistic prospect of the long-discussed Canelo fight finally happening.
Reynoso was unequivocal when asked whether there was still a route to the contest.
“That fight against Benavidez is done. There was a time when that fight could have been made at 168, and it didn’t happen, so it’s done. He is now fighting at cruiserweight. There is a better chance for Benavidez to fight Oleksandr Usyk than there is to fight Canelo.”
Reynoso’s comments suggest there will be no positive response from them despite the other side making it clear that he would still take the fight at 175lbs, where Canelo has fought twice.
Alvarez returns in October in an attempt to win back his WBC belt against new champion Christian Mbilli. Benavidez, meanwhile, may be set to challenge for the green and gold belt two divisions up.
