"Is he afraid of losing?" - Mike Tyson accuses Canelo Alvarez of 'lacking heart' for allegedly turning down $60M to fight David Benavidez
Mike Tyson has continued to aim at Canelo Alvarez for not fighting David Benavidez.
Over the last few weeks, information about the Mexican superstar's return has come to light. On May 4 in Las Vegas, Alvarez will head to the ring once again. As of now, the super middleweight champion's next opponent isn't known.
However, fans know one man who he won't fight, and that's 'The Mexican Monster'. According to several reports, Alvarez turned down $60 million to fight Benavidez, with the interim champion offering an insane 92/8 purse split.
Now, Alvarez and his team have already denied the figures about the bout. However, that hasn't stopped Tyson from going on the offense. 'Iron Mike' is a longtime supporter of Benavidez, with the heavyweight boxer attending several of his recent bouts.
Last week, the heavyweight legend slammed Alvarez for not accepting a deal to fight Benavidez. Speaking with Marca in a recent interview, Tyson took aim at the Mexican boxer's heart. He stated (via Boxing Scene):
“What’s wrong with Canelo? Is he afraid of losing?... If I were him, I would accept the fight with Benavidez and show the world that he is the best. But it seems he doesn’t have the courage to do it; It is a shame because he has a lot of talent but he lacks heart.”
Who will Canelo Alvarez fight next? Champion reportedly revives talks with PBC
Canelo Alvarez seems destined to fight either Jaime Mungia, Jermall Charlo, or Edgar Berlanga next.
Talks between the Mexican superstar facing David Benavidez reportedly led to a split between Alvarez and Al Haymon's PBC. The promotion had a three-fight deal with the champion, but he walked away last month.
As a result, the boxer began discussions with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing. The promoter publically called for a two-fight deal involving Jaime Mungia and Edgar Berlanga. That latter fight was largely laughed off by fans and pundits online.
However, Alvarez seemingly likes the sound of fighting Mungia. According to several reports, the boxer will likely face the rising contender on May 4. However, names such as Charlo are seemingly still in the running.
That being said, it seems that Alvarez might get to fight both Mungia and 'Hitman' in 2024 alone. According to a recent report, the super-middleweight champion is back in talks with the PBC to book both of those bouts.