By Dan Ambrose: Retired former IBF/WBA/WBO welterweight champion Antonio Margarito says Canelo Alvarez should give the boxing fans what they want to see by facing David Benavidez because he wants the fight with him.
Margarito, 43, says he feels that Canelo’s next opponent, WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol, won’t be ready for this kind of a step up in class against him. Bivol has looked washed up in his last two fights, struggling against British domestic level fighter Craig Richards and little-known Umar Salamov.
It’s pretty evident from watching those fights that Bivol isn’t the same fighter since his bout with hard slugger Joe Smith Jr in March 2019. That fight took something from Bivol, leaving him timid, weaker, and a shell of the fighter he’d once been.
Also, Margarito questions whether fans still want to see Canelo (57-1-2, 39 KOs) face Gennadiy Golovkin at this point.
Margarito didn’t say why he feels that boxing fans aren’t eager to see Canelo-Golovkin III; he likely feels the contest is four years too late and no longer means anything. Golovkin turns 40 on April 8th and hasn’t fought an A-level fighter in many years.
Additionally, Golovkin has fought only three times in the last four years since his loss to the Mexican star in 2018, beating this mediocre bunch: Steve Rolls, Sergiy Derevyanchenko, and Kamil Szeremeta.
Moreover, Golovkin’s opposition in those three fights has been pedestrian level, meaning that he’s been playing it safe while waiting for Canelo to give him a third payday fight.
Presumably, Golovkin will retire after he faces Canelo for the final cash-out unless there’s any remaining interest on DAZN’s part to continue to have GGG fight on their platform. If so, Golovkin will likely continue fighting.
Margarito: Canelo should fight Benavidez
“Bivol isn’t ready to take this kind of fight. Canelo is going to go through Bivol and then fight GGG. Who wants to see that again?” said Antonio Margarito to Fighthype.
“I think he should take a look at Benavidez because Benavidez wants to fight him,” Margarito continued about who Canelo should fight. “Benavidez is a great fight, and that’s who the fans want to see.
“So if Canelo wants to prove himself to the fans, he’ll give the fight with Benavidez. I think Benavidez deserves the opportunity, and Canelo should give him that opportunity. Hey, give the fans what they want to see, and Benavidez can prove that he can fight Canelo and he is competitive,” said Margarito.
The problem is, Canelo has seems stubbornly resistant to the idea of fighting Benavidez (25-0, 22 KOs), saying he has nothing to offer him in terms of world titles. That’s true, Benavidez doesn’t hold a world title at this time, but Canelo is obtuse, whether intentional or not, by saying the former two-time WBC 168-lb champion has nothing to offer him.
Benavidez viewed as #1 at 168 by fans
The knowledgable boxing recognizes Benavidez as the best fighter in the super middleweight division and worlds better than the mediocre bunch of champions Canelo beat at 168 in 2021.
That was an awful bunch of paper champions Canelo padded his record with in 2020 and 2021.
Canelo’s wins over 168-lb champions:
- Billy Joe Saunders
- Rocky Fielding
- Caleb Plant
- Callum Smith
Fans would give Canelo massive credit if he were to take on Benavidez and beat him, as he’s viewed as the uncrowned undisputed champion in their eyes. Canelo is seen as #2 behind Benavidez, and some fans even see the Mexican star behind the talented Cuban David Morrell Jr, who would be a nightmare for him to fight.
Morrell Jr. is like a bigger, stronger, and younger version of Erislandy Lara. We saw what Lara did to Canelo in their fight in 2014. He beat Canelo but was arguably robbed.
“Benavidez has shown a lot and is going up,” said Margarito. “What I can say is the winner of this fight [Canelo vs. Benavidez] will be the fighter that prepares himself the most. That’s really important.
“Whoever prepares themselves the most will win because they’re both proven their great fighters. So training camp will make the difference,” said Margarito.
