By Jim Calfa: Canelo Alvarez is picking WBC interim super middleweight champion David Benavidez to defeat Caleb Plant when the two meet next month on March 25th on Showtime PPV at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Canelo feels that the power & the youth of the 26-year-old Benavidez (26-0, 23 KOs) will be the deciding factor in him beating the 30-year-old former IBF 168-lb champion Plant (22-1, 13 KOs), who he knocked out in the 11th round on November 6th, 2021.
Interestingly, Canelo is humble enough to pick Benavidez over one of his former victims because many fighters would have had a reserved view because they would want to build themselves up more with false pride.
In Canelo’s case, he’s willing to tell it like it is by selecting who he truly believes will win that fight in selecting Benavidez.
Benavidez too young & strong for Plant
“I think Benavidez because he’s more stronger, younger. I think Benavidez,” said Canelo Alvarez to ESNEWS when asked who wins the Caleb Plant vs. David Benavidez fight on March 25th on Showtime PPV.
What Canelo doesn’t say is whether he’ll fight Benavidez if he comes out victorious in this fight. It would be great if Canelo announced to the boxing world that he intends to face the winner, even Benavidez because many fans believe he’s frightened of facing him.
Assuming Canelo isn’t going to fight Benavidez; eventually, the World Boxing Council will have to strip him of his WBC title with their organization because they’re going to look silly as an organization if they allow him to swerve his mandatory year after year. The WBC using the Franchise excuse for not stripping Canelo would be pathetic but entirely predictable at the same time.
Will Canelo fight Plant-Benavidez winner?
If Canelo were to tell the people that he’ll take on the winner regardless of who it is, his popularity would increase because it would once and for all dismiss the perception that he’s deathly scared of facing Benavidez.
Fighting Dmitry Bivol hasn’t proven to fans that Canelo isn’t afraid of fighting Benavidez because he has a different style of fighting. Bivol is mostly a boxer who tries to outpoint his opponents with his skills.
In contrast, Benavidez is a slugger who tries to knock out his opponents by bludgeoning his opponents into submission. He’s not trying to outbox his opposition.
Benavidez wants to hurt them at all times. Fighting Benavidez would put Canelo at serious risk of not only losing but getting knocked out in the process, which would have a dramatic effect on his popularity in North America.