By Sean Jones: David Benavidez slammed Canelo Alvarez, Caleb Plant, and Jermall Charlo on Tuesday during his virtual press conference for their unwillingness to fight him.
Canelo has all his slots filled for 2022 and 2023 in his schedule, and it’s fair to say Benavidez won’t be in the picture for him.
Benavidez says Plant, Canelo, and Charlo come across as self-confident on outward appearances, but when it comes to taking a risky fight against him, their fears betray them.
If none of those three agree to take the fight with the unbeaten #1 WBC 168-lb contender Benavidez (25-0, 22 KOs) soon, he says he’ll move up to light heavyweight.
Benavidez has a good chance of picking up the WBC title if Canelo refuses to fight him because he’s on the verge of becoming the interim WBC super middleweight champion.
They want no part in fighting Benavidez and instead take easier fights against soft targets.
Canelo is already tied up in 2022:
Dmitry Bivol – May 7th
Gennadiy Golovkin – September 17th
John Ryder or Joshua Buatsi
Next month, Benavidez is fighting David Lemieux on Showtime in the Premier Boxing Champions event on May 21 at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
The winner of the Benavidez vs. Lemieux fight will hold the interim WBC 168-lb title. If Benavidez can get his hands on that belt, he can pressure the World Boxing Council to order Canelo to fight him.
“David Lemieux accepted the fight as soon as the WBC ordered it, unlike Caleb Plant, unlike Canelo, unlike [Jermall] Charlo and those other guys,” said David Benavidez during his virtual press conference on Tuesday.
Former IBF super middleweight champion Caleb ‘Sweethands’ Plant is coming off a loss to Canelo, and he could be facing former Benavidez knockout victim, 37-year-old Anthony Dirrell next.
With Dirrell having won only one fight in his last three contests. He’s clearly past it at his age, it’s sad that Plant is choosing to fight this kind of opponent.
“They have so much confidence in their heads, but they’re scared to take the fight. That’s why I have so much respect for David Lemieux because he took the fight right away,” said Benavidez.
“Charlo is fighting a dude [Maciej Sulecki], who has never even been a world champion before. I want to stick at 168 until I make all the big fights possible,” said Benavidez.
WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo is choosing to fight former Demetrius Andrade opponent Maciej Sulecki next rather than Benavidez.
