Despite the anticipation of a potential fight between Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez, Alvarez will instead be defending his undisputed super middleweight title against Jaime Munguia on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Alvarez continues to face questions about a potential match-up with Benavidez, who has gained notoriety for being the fighter Alvarez seems hesitant to face rather than for his impressive 28-0 record and world championship status. During an interview on ESPN First Take, Alvarez stated that if the money is right, he would be willing to fight Benavidez, adding that he could even face him on the same night as his fight with Munguia.
While Alvarez’s verbal agreement to fight Benavidez may not carry much weight without execution, he must focus on his upcoming match with Munguia and not overlook his opponent. With Saturday’s fight being Alvarez’s 65th professional bout at the age of 33, there are concerns about whether his skills may start to show signs of wear and tear. Alvarez and Munguia’s former promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, added fuel to the fire during a pre-fight press conference, further intensifying the rivalry between the two boxers.
Despite expectations that Alvarez will defeat Munguia, there is still hope for a potential match-up between Alvarez and Benavidez in the future. However, Benavidez has announced plans to move up to 175 pounds to pursue a title in a new weight class, facing Oleksandr Gvozdyk in a co-featured bout on June 15. Benavidez’s decision to move up in weight may pose challenges if he were to move back down to 168 pounds for a potential fight with Alvarez, but the opportunity for the biggest payday of his career may be too tempting to resist. Regardless, the talk of a potential Alvarez-Benavidez fight is likely to continue even after Alvarez faces Munguia in less than 48 hours.
