By Sean Jones: David Benavidez took to Instagram to ask Canelo Alvarez why he’s “afraid” of fighting him. Canelo ignored a recent $50 million offer that was sent by Benavidez’s promoter to him.
Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs) is frustrated at being seemingly avoided by the undisputed 168-lb champion Canelo, and he’s likely annoyed at hearing the news of 39-year-old Badou Jack and inactive Jermall Charlo being considered for the Mexican star’s next fight in September.
Whether it’s fear or some other issue that has made Canelo continually turn a blind eye to Benavidez pushing for a fight against him is unclear.
In the past, it was understandable for Canelo to ignore Benavidez because he had bigger fights available to him against Gennadiy Golovkin. But now that Canelo is facing guys like John Ryder, and possibly Badou Jack or Charlo, it just seems like flat-out avoidance.
“Why are you afraid of me?” said David Benavidez on Instagram in sending a message to Canelo Alvarez.
It’s a good idea for Benavidez to forget about Canelo altogether because he chooses his opponents, and he doesn’t react well to being pressured by fighters trying to share the ring with him.
Benavidez should know by now that it’s not helping by continually calling out Canelo and complaining about him not giving him a fight. If anything, that needy behavior is working against Benavidez because it makes him seem desperate and unable to blaze his own trail with his career, as Dmitry Bivol had done before being hand-picked by Canelo.
Benavidez needs to preserve his dignity and forget about Canelo because it makes him look bad, hounding the superstar and getting nowhere.
“I always thought Benavidez is a great fight for Canelo. I thought it would produce fireworks, and I know people are down on Canelo because he lost to Bivol, but Bivol was always bad for Canelo. Bivol was always the guy you put Canelo in with if you wanted to get Canelo beat,” said Max Kellerman to Town Bizznizz sports and Ent.
“I know Benavidez and Bivol are these beasts, right? That’s the type of fighter Canelo is. He wants you to come to him because he’s a natural counter-puncher.
“So, I would say it’s like James Toney. If you wanted to beat James Toney in the past, you would go get Roy Jones. Not because he’s great, but because he’ll step around you. He’s here; he’s there; you can’t fight him. His feet are fast to get around you.
“If you put Vasily Jirov in with Toney, great. Vasily was an undefeated Olympic gold medalist and world champion. But if you’re going to just come at James Toney, he’s going to counter you, and that’s Canelo.
“Against Benavides, against Beterbiev, I like Canelo’s chances because they’re going to do exactly what he wants them to do, and I guess a guy
like Bivol is going to be tougher for him.
“Beterbiev with Canelo? The same thing with Benavidez. Beterbiev is going to go to Canelo. That’s all that Canelo wants. I’m not saying who necessarily wins, but that’s a fast, hard, fastball pitcher against a fastball hitter.
“There’s nothing cute. There’s one guy that just wants you to stay there so he can come to you and do what he wants to do, and the other guy just wants you to come to him so he can do what he needs to do.
“Canelo just wants you to come to him. ‘I got you now,’ and Beterbiev just wants you to stay right there. ‘I’m going to come and get you. That’s country hardball,” said Kellerman.
