By Jim Calfa: Canelo Alvarez says he’s tired of being asked about David Benavidez because it’s a constant thing with the media & fans bringing him up. Canelo says he always fights the guys the fans want him to.
The problem is that when Canelo (59-2-2, 39 KOs) does eventually face the fighters that fans want to see him fight, it takes years, and sometimes they’re past their prime.
For example, Canelo didn’t fight Gennadiy Golovkin until he was 37 after he’d been trying to get a fight against him for four years since he was 33. Miguel Cotto was 35 and over the hill when Canelo fought him in 2015.
If Canelo had fought Benavidez last year instead of choosing Dmitry Bivol & 41-year-old Golovkin, no one would be asking him about it. The perception boxing fans have is Canelo has been ducking Benavidez for the past five years, choosing to fight weaker opposition to make money in sure-thing fights.
While it’s great that Canelo is facing Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) on September 30th, that guy fights two divisions below him at 154 and has never fought at 168.
“He always talk and calling me out. I think the first thing he’s going to come and say something and try to fight me or something like that,” said Canelo Alvarez to Fight Hub TV about Jermell Charlo during today’s press conference in Los Angeles.
“I like this kind of thing because you realize that we are 100% focused on the fight, and all the energy & violence is focused on the fight.”
Jermell played it cool during the two-city press tour in New York & Los Angeles, and the likely reason for that is because he was glad to get thee fight. Charlo is getting a huge payday fighting Canelo, so of course, he’s going to be gracious and not bite the hand that feeds.
“So, I like this kind of thing because try to sell the fight, try to talk s**t and try to fight each other [during the press conferences], I don’t like those kinds of things,” said Canelo.
“I always try to bring my respect, but it depends on the mood of the other part. The energy. I can come out, but I like this kind of press conference.
“I don’t know,” said Canelo when asked why Jermell was so respectful during the press conference. “I think he respects my career; he respects what I’ve done in boxing. So, that’s what I think.
“I don’t know, we don’t know,” said Canelo when asked if his third and fight fight of his three-fight deal with PBC could be against David Benavidez. “We’re 100% focused on this fight, and then we’ll see, but it’s always a chance.
“Yeah,” said Canelo on being asked if he was ‘tired’ of the Benavidez talk. “Remember when everyone was asking when I was happening with Golovkin? ‘Oh, Golovkin. Oh, Golovkin.’ I’m tired because I always fight the fighters, you say,” said Canelo.
