Canelo Alvarez sees no point in agreeing to a fight against the hulking cruiserweight-sized David Benavidez, even with a rehydration clause to keep him from rehydrating 25+ lbs for a fight between them at super middleweight.
Even if Canelo did force a rehydration clause, that wouldn’t stop him from magically ballooning up 25 lbs after the weigh-in. The ‘Mexican Monster’ is like a weight-cutting experiment gone wrong.
Cruiserweight in Disguise
I see there as zero upside for Canelo to fight Benavidez, who is seen as a weight bully and a fighter who should campaign at cruiserweight. The guy looks as big as a house after he rehydrates and looks enormous. If I were Canelo, I wouldn’t want to fight a cruiserweight. Why should he?
The Mexican star Canelo (60-2-2, 39 KOs) points out that it would be a “lose-lose” situation for him, as he wouldn’t receive credit from fans if he were to defeat Benavidez (28-0, 24 KOs) because of the rehydration clause, and, of course, if he gets beaten, then he’ll be further dumped on.
With all that, Canelo sees no point in fighting the 27-year-old Benavidez, and I can relate to his viewpoint.
When you’re dealing with a fighter who balloons up in weight after rehydrating for his fights at 168, it puts you in a situation where you’re fighting a guy who should be campaigning at cruiserweight or light heavyweight.
I don’t see it as fair to Canelo to have to fight a cruiserweight, who, because of his youth, is still able to drain tremendous amounts of weight to compete in the 168-lb division against fighters who are much lighter than him on fight night.
Win or Lose, Canelo Gets Screwed
“Yeah, it is a lose-lose situation because, you know, after the fight, they are going to say ‘it was because of this,” said Canelo to the Fight Hub TV YouTube channel about fighting David Benavidez with a rehydration clause in place to keep him from rehydrating 25+ lbs to the 190s and looking like a cruiserweight on the night of the fight.
“And then what? And then what? Then you’re going to talk about that clause,” said Canelo about him not receiving credit from fans if he defeats Benavidez due to the rehydration clause. “When I beat him, they will say it was because of the clause – nothing to do with that fight.”
Where Benavidez Really Belongs
Benavidez should be fighting at cruiserweight against guys like Jai Opetaia, Mairis Briedis, Gilberto Ramirez, and Richard Riakporhe. It’s understandable why Benavidez doesn’t fight in that division: There’s no money in that weight class. Now that the Saudis have been interested in that division, all the money fights at 168 and 175.