11
Canelo Admits Why He Turned Down Benavidez at 168
Why Canelo vs. Benavidez: The Super Fight That Never Was (And Probably Never Will Be)
TL;DR: Boxing fans have waited years for Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and David Benavidez to fight. It’s not happening. Canelo is near retirement, fighting at 168 lbs to win back belts. Benavidez has moved up to much heavier weight classes. The "perfect window" closed years ago.
The Big Picture: A Dream Match That Stayed a Dream
Imagine two kids on a playground who should race each other because they’re both the fastest. But one keeps making excuses, the other gets tired of waiting and joins a different game, and eventually… they just never race. That’s Canelo vs. Benavidez in a nutshell.
Despite both being superstars at super-middleweight (168 lbs), the fight never happened. Now, with Canelo winding down his legendary career and Benavidez fighting much bigger men, the door isn’t just closed—it’s locked.
Who Are These Guys? (The ELI5 Version)
Saul "Canelo" Alvarez
- The Face of Boxing: Mexican superstar, global icon, multiple-division champion.
- Status: Near the end of his career (maybe 3–4 fights left).
- Current Goal: Win back the undisputed super-middleweight title he lost to Terence Crawford last year.
- Next Fight: October 31 vs. Christian Mbilli (the new WBC champion at 168 lbs).
David Benavidez
- The "Mexican Monster": Aggressive, powerful, fan-favorite action fighter.
- History at 168 lbs: Held the WBC super-middleweight title TWICE—but was stripped both times (missed weight, then failed a drug test for cocaine).
- Current Weight: Cruiserweight (200 lbs) — that’s 32 lbs heavier than Canelo!
- Willing to drop to: Light-heavyweight (175 lbs) — still 7 lbs above Canelo’s current limit.
Why Didn’t the Fight Happen? (The Timeline)
- Canelo becomes undisputed king at 168 lbs (beats all the champions, owns all 4 major belts).
- Benavidez is fighting at 168 lbs too… but isn’t a champion (lost his belts on technicalities).
- WBC makes Benavidez "mandatory challenger" — meaning he should get the next shot at Canelo.
- The WBC never forces the fight — Canelo moves on, vacates belts, fights at other weights.
- Benavidez gets frustrated, moves up in weight — first to 175, now to 200 lbs.
- Canelo loses undisputed status to Terence Crawford (at a catchweight/junior middleweight bout).
- Canelo returns to 168 lbs to hunt belts again — but Benavidez is long gone.
What Canelo Says: "The Perfect Moment Passed"
“He’s a heavyweight fighting at 175, or a cruiserweight. It’s not fair. When I [was] turning undisputed, if he would have been a champion at that point, that was the correct time to do the fight, but he wasn’t. He was fighting at 168 at that point, but he wasn’t a champion. That was, I think, the perfect moment to do it.”
— Canelo, on The Ariel Helwani Show
Translation:
"Back when I had all the belts and he was right there in the same division, he didn’t have a belt. So the fight didn’t make ‘business sense.’ Now he’s huge, I’m old, and it’s not fair to ask me to fight a guy 30 lbs heavier."
Important Callout: The Weight Problem
Weight classes exist for safety and fairness.
Asking Canelo (natural 168 lbs) to fight Benavidez (now a natural 200 lbs) is like asking a middleweight wrestler to fight a heavyweight.
Even at 175 lbs (light-heavyweight), Benavidez would rehydrate to ~190+ lbs on fight night. Canelo would be giving up massive size, power, and durability.
That’s not a "super fight"—that’s a mismatch.
What’s Next for Canelo? The Road Back to Gold
| Step | Opponent | Date | Stakes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christian Mbilli (WBC Champ) | Oct 31, 2025 | Win back WBC 168-lb title |
| 2 | TBD (WBA/IBF/WBO champs) | 2026 | Unify belts, become undisputed again |
| 3 | Legacy fights / Retirement | 2026–2027 | Cement GOAT status |
Christian Mbilli is a fierce, undefeated Canadian-Cameroonian puncher. This is no tune-up—it’s a dangerous first step.
Summary: The Fight That Got Away
- Both were at 168 lbs at the same time.
- Both were elite, fan-friendly, Mexican stars.
- Benavidez lost his belts on technicalities (weight, drug test).
- WBC never enforced his mandatory position.
- Canelo chose other fights; Benavidez moved up.
- Now: Canelo = 168 lbs legend winding down. Benavidez = 200 lbs beast.
- Next up: Canelo vs. Mbilli, Oct 31.
The "Mexican Monster" vs. "The Face of Boxing" will remain a "What If?" forever.
FAQ: Your Burning Questions Answered
Could they still fight at a catchweight (e.g., 170 lbs)?
No. Benavidez says he won’t go below 175 lbs. Canelo says he won’t go above 168 lbs. Neither side will budge—and at their ages, they shouldn’t have to.
Why was Benavidez stripped of his belts?
- First time: Missed weight for a defense (came in 2.8 lbs over).
- Second time: Failed a post-fight drug test (cocaine — not a PED, but still a banned substance).
Did Canelo "duck" Benavidez?
It’s complicated. Canelo fought everyone else at 168 lbs (Plant, Saunders, Smith, Yildirim). The WBC could have forced the fight but didn’t. Canelo argues Benavidez wasn’t a champion when it mattered. Fans can decide for themselves.
Is Benavidez too big for Canelo now?
Yes. Benavidez walks around near 220 lbs. Even drained to 175, he’d be massive. At 168, it would kill him. The size gap is now a safety issue, not just a competitive one.
Who is Christian Mbilli and why should I care?
Mbilli (27-0, 23 KOs) is a pressure fighter with scary power. He’s the WBC champion at 168 lbs. Beating him gives Canelo a belt back—and sets up unification fights. This is a real test, not a showcase.
Final Thought: Boxing is a business, but it’s also a sport. Sometimes the business wins. This time, the fans lost. But hey—Canelo vs. Mbilli on Halloween should still be a treat.
