Canelo Alvarez accused of "holding belts hostage"; urged to compete in celebrity boxing instead
David Benavidez believes Canelo Alvarez's boxing titles might as well be celebrity ones at this stage.
'The Mexican Monster' is fresh off his return to the ring earlier this month opposite Demetrius Andrade. Facing the undefeated 'Boo Boo', Benavidez dominated the former champion. He battered him en route to a sixth-round stoppage victory.
The defeat was Benavidez's second defense of the WBC interim super middleweight title. Furthermore, he's been Canelo Alvarez's mandatory challenger for years but has failed to strike a deal.
For his part, Alvarez is coming off a dominant decision win over Jermell Charlo in late September. That was the first of his deal with Premier Boxing Champions, and fans hoped to see him face Benavidez as his second. Considering they have the same promoter, it was an easy fit.
However, Canelo Alvarez has shown no interest in facing Benavidez as of late. That led to a spirited rant from the interim champion during a recent interview with ProBox TV. There, Benavidez stated:
"Boxing needs this fight. If he's still going to be in this division, he's still going to be around. I know people have said that he's done enough and he doesn't need to fight [me]. But why does he have all the belts? He should just do celebrity boxing like everyone else. Why is he still trying to hold the belt hostage and not give number one contenders the opportunity they deserve?"
See his comments in the video below (12:50)
Who will be Canelo Alvarez's next boxing opponent?
Canelo Alvarez's next opponent hasn't been revealed as of now.
However, the Mexican superstar does have plenty of options. A fight with David Benavidez is right at the top of most fans' list of must-see bouts for 2024.
Furthermore, the WBC confirmed their intention to have Alvarez face 'The Mexican Monster' earlier this month. If he refuses, he will be stripped of the super-middleweight title, which might end up happening.
Just days before Benavidez's return against Demetrius Andrade, reports emerged about Canelo Alvarez's next fight. According to ProBoxTV, he might end up facing the rising Jaime Munguia in his return next year. For his part, the 27-year-old is coming off a decision win over Sergiy Dereyanchenko in June.
While that bout isn't set in stone according to the report, it might be soon. Furthermore, given Benavidez's recent rant, it's clear he believes that he won't be fighting Alvarez next.