David Benavidez is downplaying Terence Crawford’s victory over Canelo Alvarez last week, viewing it as an opportunistic situation, taking advantage of the Mexican star being on the downside of his career.
A Vulture’s Opportunistic Victory
‘The Mexican Monster’ essentially sees Crawford as a vulture, swooping down to snatch a victory over what’s left of Canelo. The way Alvarez looked, he would have lost to many of the top 10 at 168, 160, 154, and even a few at 147. He was perfect for Crawford to pick off.
Benavidez’s Inevitable Return to 168
Benavidez (40-0, 34 KOs) says he’ll be “back at 168 soon,” targeting the undisputed championship title that Crawford now holds. Benavidez states that Crawford will “fold” like the other opponents he’s beaten. He’ll be no different.
The way ‘The Mexican Monster’ talks, he views Terence as the four-belt champion in name only. He’s just briefly holding the belts that he’s going to rip from if he doesn’t vacate and flee to the 160. The question is, will Crawford accept the challenge or retreat, throw down his rifle, and become a deserter by running from the battlefield?
The Positives for Crawford
- Massive payday: The money that Crawford would get for fighting Benavidez would likely be huge, more or less than what he receives for fighting the tired and old-looking Canelo.
- Shows He’s Fearless: It would allow Crawford to show that he’s not a spineless cherry-picker, who only faced over-the-hill former elite fighters when he knows it’s safe.
- Legacy purposes: Fighting Benavidez would give Crawford a real opportunity to cement his legacy. Terence says his purpose for fighting Canelo was for “legacy” reasons. Fans now suspect that he and his coach realized Alvarez was washed up, so they exploited, picking off the weakened prey in a bird-like manner.
- Prove he can beat an elite fighter: Crawford still hasn’t beaten any elite fighters during his 17-year pro career. The victory against the over-the-hill Canelo doesn’t count. Fighting Benavidez will show that Terence can beat an elite fighter in his prime, not a toothless old lion.
Alalshikh’s Wish for the Fight
Turki Alalshikh has already hinted that he wants Crawford to fight Benavidez next. When Turki wants a fight, he’s the type who is determined to make it happen. Will Terence go against his benefactor’s wishes by avoiding Benavidez or agree to this? It would be the ultimate risk for Crawford, the type he never took during his career. He was never a huge underdog like he would be if he fought Benavidez.
You’ve got to bet that one of the four sanctioning bodies will rank Benavidez quickly at #1 at 168, which will force Crawford’s hand to either face him or give up the belt before it’s stripped from him.
“I’m back at 168 soon; who’s really undisputed?” said David Benavidez to the Pound 4 Pound podcast, sending a warning message to Terence Crawford. “Against my pressure? Nah, he’d fold like the rest.”
As far as Crawford’s win, Benavidez sees it as a superficial one, capitalizing on a fighter that had avoided him, and whose legs were heavy, not once, years ago. Although Crawford is older than Canelo at 37, he fought lesser opposition throughout his career, never stepping up until facing the faded Mexican star.
“Crawford caught him on the downside, legs heavy, chin suspect. That’s not beating the Canelo we knew; that’s exploiting a setup,” said David Benavidez to Ring Magazine on September 14, reacting to Terence Crawford’s win over Canelo Alvarez.
Exploiting a Faded Champion
Benavidez makes some good points about Crawford taking advantage of Canelo’s faded form. He must have noticed that Alvarez had been displaying vulnerability since his loss to Dmitry Bivol in May 2022. He went for the kill, focusing on this fight, knowing he could beat him with his run-oriented fighting syle.
Not a Cherry-Picked Tour
“If Bud wants to talk GOAT [greatest of all time], he needs to face someone prime and hungry, not a cherry-picked farewell tour,” said Benavidez.
‘The Mexican Monster’ Benavidez would be a stylistic nightmare for Crawford if he were to accept the challenge of fighting him. If Crawford could find a way to neutralize Benavidez’s offense to defeat him, that would put him in with one of the all-time greats in a real way.