By Sean Jones: Trainer Jose Benavidez Sr. says he likes the idea of Canelo Alvarez facing Jermall Charlo next. Jose feels that Canelo has transformed into a “business” person focused on making money and doesn’t care about his legacy despite what he and his trainer/manager Eddy Reynoso claim.
You can argue that if Canelo and Reynoso were serious about building a legacy, they wouldn’t be trying to fight Ilunga Makabu. They wouldn’t have fought Avni Yildirim and invested all 2021 fighting paper champions at 168.
Benavidez Sr. says he feels that WBC middleweight champion Jermall (32-0, 22 KOs) is vulnerable. He’s not a 168-pounder like Canelo; he’s weaker and not dedicated.
Jose Sr. states that Charlo is “drinking” and “partying” more and not showing the same dedication that Canelo is with his career. Moreover, Jermall isn’t as active as Canelo.
Jermall Charlo fighting only ONCE a year
In the last two years, Jermall has fought only ONCE a year. Charlo has turned into another Gary Russell Jr., with him only defending his title on an annual basis rather than two to three times a year.
When a fighter only fights once a year, it’s difficult to stay sharp, and we’re already seeing the ring rust on Charlo’s game in his lackluster performances against Juan Macias Montiel, Sergiy Derevyanchenko, and Matt Korobov.
There’s been a drop-off from Jermall’s performances since 2019. His last impressive effort came against Hugo Centeno Jr. in 2018.
Benavidez Jr. likes Canelo vs. Jermall fight
“The fight between Canelo and Charlo, I think it’s a good fight for Canelo because they’ve turned into businesspeople now,” said Benavidez Sr. to Fighthype.
They know how to select, and they’re in that position now to fight whoever they want to fight,” Benavidez Sr. said about Canelo and his trainer/manager Eddy Reynoso carefully picking opponents.
“They don’t really care about making history and being there. It’s more about the money,” said Benavidez about Canelo not really fighting to cement his legacy, as Reynoso claims.
“I think the bigger fight right now is David [Benavidez] against Canelo because everybody wants to see that fight, and Canelo doesn’t want to fight him.
“Now, Canelo wants to fight Charlo because he’s a little guy. He’s never fought at 168, and Charlo wants to fight Canelo. It’s a payday. I like both fighters, and I like their styles,” said Jose Jr.
The money will be there for Canelo & Reynoso if they choose Jermall for their next fight, and it’s a winnable one.
Given that Jermall is now fighting on an annual basis, he’s not as sharp as he used to be, and he might be enjoying his money a little too much. It happens to a lot of fighters that make millions.
They stop fighting as frequently as before, and they become average fighters. We’ve seen that with Keith Thurman and many other fighters. They get rich, and they stop fighting as often.
Benavidez Sr. says Jermall “drinking” & “partying”
“I think Canelo has the advantage [over Jermall] because Canelo has been active and it stronger,” said Benavidez Sr. “Charlo, they haven’t been looking good. They’re going through some stuff.
“People don’t know. In my opinion, I see them [Jermall] drinking a little bit more and partying a little bit more. They’re not as dedicated. Canelo is dedicated.
“Canelo is a bigger guy, a little more dedicated, and then he has more advantages when it comes to negotiations. ‘You’re going to have to come at this weight.’
“He [Canelo] has more things that he asks for, and he takes all the advantages. So it’s a good fight for Canelo, but not for Charlo. I think Canelo will take this fight, in my opinion,” said Benavidez Sr. in hinting about the rehydration clauses and catch weights that Alvarez has used in the past.
If Jermall is enjoying his time out of the ring, as Benavidez Sr. says, he’s probably not going to do well against Canelo, who is always training.
Canelo takes an easier route against Charlo
“It’s going to be an interesting fight, and it’s going to be a really good fight,” Benavidez Sr. said about the Canelo vs. Jermall contest.
“But when you put David against Canelo, a young guy that we don’t even have a date yet and we’re getting ready and focused. Things happen for a reason.
“What David went through was a blessing, and he matured. Now he knows. People say, ‘He doesn’t make weight.’ Only one time, he didn’t make weight. All these other times, he’s been making weight.
“In their minds, it’s there, so they try and talk about that. He’s focused; he’s a dangerous fighter,” said Jose Sr. about Benavidez. “He’s more man now; he’s super dedicated and making a lot of sacrifices.
“So that’s what the Canelo team sees. That’s why they want to go to the other route [Charlo].
‘I don’t pay attention to that,” said Benavidez Jr. on Canelo reportedly signing a one-fight deal to fight Jermall Charlo. “Canelo has worked so hard and dedicated their lives. He deserves what he has.
Charlo deserves everything he has, and Canelo deserves everything he has. They’ve been here before us [David Benavidez]. They deserve every penny they’ve got. I congratulate them, and I’m happy for them.
“I would love to see that fight, but I try not to see what they’re doing,” said Benavidez Sr.
It’s pretty evident that Canelo has been swerving David Benavidez for the longest time. That’s not going to change. It’s a constant, and it’s not going to change.
Charlo doesn’t want to fight Benavidez
“There’s a reason why Charlo doesn’t want to fight David [Benavidez],” said Jose Benavidez Jr. to Fighthype. “I knew that fight was a very dangerous fight for us.
“I don’t know if we’re ready. We might be. We don’t know until we fight, but we’re willing to take that risk. It’s a big risk, but we’re willing to do that. I reached out to them [Team Charlo], but they didn’t want to do it.
“The same thing with Canelo. We tried to reach out to him when David was [the WBC super middleweight] champion. They were not interested. We let it go, and then when David lost his belts, he [Canelo] was interested to fight for the 168.
“In a way, I feel super happy that they [Canelo and Jermall] don’t want to fight him [Benavidez] because they have respect for him. They see David is a dangerous fighter, and I don’t think they’re 100% that they’re going to beat him.
“So, that’s why they don’t want to fight him. If they thought he was an easy fighter, they would take it right away. Easy money, right?” said Benavidez Sr. on Canelo and Jermall, showing fear of David by not trying to fight him.
“So to me, it makes me happy that they don’t want to fight him. If it happens, it happens. If not, we’ll continue working hard. Al Haymon is taking care of David really good.
“I’m super happy with what he’s doing. If he has to fight a little bit more fights to get that purse, no problem. We’ll get more experience,” Jose Sr. said of Benavidez.
If Canelo wanted to fight Benavidez, he would have done it by now. He had plenty of opportunities to substitute Benavidez in place of Yildirim, Caleb Plant, Rocky Fielding, Billy Joe Saunders, or Callum Smith.