Trainer Jose Benavidez Sr. says his son, David Benavidez, would be too “strong” and “too big” for Terence Crawford if they were to fight. He states that ‘The Mexican Monster’ would “destroy” Crawford at super middleweight.
Canelo’s Deteriorated State
Benavidez Sr. suggests that Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) fight some of the top contenders in the 168-lb division to prove himself because he doesn’t believe he’s received full credit for his win over Canelo Alvarez last Saturday night due to the deteriorated state the Mexican superstar was in.
Jose Sr. states that Canelo isn’t the fighter that he once was, and he’d been saying this well before he fought Crawford. He believes Alvarez has lost a lot from his game from the many wars he’s had, all the grueling sparring sessions he’s used to prepare himself for fights.
Benavidez’s Size and Strength Advantage
“David is too big for Terence Crawford. I think Crawford will be 38 years old. It will not be the same as Canelo. David is young, strong, and super big for Terence Crawford. With David, it’s a different story,” said trainer Jose Benavodez Sr. to MillCity Boxing when asked about a fight between David Benavidez and Terence Crawford.
Benavidez has too much youth, power, size, and combination punching ability for Crawford. Age isn’t a factor. Crawford could be in his 20s, and Benavidez would still be too much for him. It would be walking into a massacre if Crawford were to fight Benavidez.
As Chris Algieri pointed out today, September 16, in an interview with Inside Boxing on YouTube, “Crawford doesn’t take fights he can’t win,” which means he would never agree to face Benavidez. He knows his limitations. Beating a fading, flat-footed Canelo is one thing, but it’s a different story trying that with Benavidez.
The approach that Crawford used against Canelo last Saturday, landing then dashing away, wouldn’t be practical against Benavidez. It wouldn’t keep him from being tracked down in the ring and bagged like a rabbit by the ‘Mexican Monster.’
Crawford’s Lack of Validation
“He has to beat some others at super middleweight to get the full credit. I don’t know if he can do it. He’s too small for that weight,” said Benavidez Sr. about Crawford needing to beat the top contenders at 168 to receive full credit for his victory over Canelo
Jose Sr. didn’t mention who Crawford would need to defeat at super middleweight for him to be validated by the hardcore fans who closely follow. These would be some of the top fighters that Crawford would need to defeat to prove himself:
- Christian Mbilli
- Osleys Iglesias
- Diego Pacheco
Note: I left out Lester Martinez because he’s Crawford’s sparring partner, a member of his team, and a friend of his. He would be on the list if not for that. Hamzah Sheerz is new to the super middleweight division, so I didn’t include him.
That would show a lot of bravery on Crawford’s part if he were to fight Mbilli and Iglesias, as those are two of the three best fighters in the super middleweight division. Those are not fights that Crawford would likely agree to for two reasons:
- High probability of him losing: Mbilli is a punching machine with his volume attack, and he would be on top of Crawford all night, teeing off for 12 rounds. Running wouldn’t be effective. The Cuban southpaw Iglesias is a huge puncher with either hand, with a jab that is like a power punch. His reach is nearly identical to Crawford’s.
- Not marketable fights
Again, Lester Martinez would be among them if not for his friendship with Crawford. He would be an excellent choice, except for their friendship.
Bud’s Unlikely Fan Growth
“Crawford doesn’t have a big following. I don’t think he’s going to steal Canelo’s fans. Crawford is a great fighter, but unfortunately, he doesn’t have a big following,” said Benavidez Sr.
Crawford’s fanbase isn’t going to increase to the levels of Canelo’s just because of his victory last Saturday. He doesn’t have a country backing him like Canelo does with Mexico. Moreover, the manner in which Crawford used to win, moving around the ring all night, wasn’t exciting to watch.
Crawford used a blend of Mayweather and Shakur Stevenson’s styles to outbox Canelo for the decision. While he got the victory, the performance was on the dull side of the spectrum.
“Bivol beat Canelo. Does Bivol have a big following?” said Jose Sr., arguing that Crawford’s fanbase won’t grow to the level of Canelo’s after his win. He states that Crawford “just doesn’t have the same charisma as Canelo.”