No matter how far he wants to go, Canelo Alvarez always gets roped into a conversation regarding David Benavidez. After all, with the history involved, and the potential of the bout, it is a dream fight for every boxing fan. It is a fight that can define Mexican boxing’s future and the Bandera Roja wants to be that future.
He has been chasing a fight against Cinnamon for years and was even a mandatory challenger at 168. However, after repeatedly getting denied opportunities, he switched to 175 and has established himself as the next challenger for the undisputed title. However, he still desperately wants that match against Canelo Alvarez and hopes for a miracle to make the fight happen. It looks like, Benavidez has found his miracle as His Excellency Turki Alalshikh is looking to intervene.
A fight of dreams
On Saturday, the GEA chairman sat down with Mark Coppinger on ESPN to shed light on the four-fight deal he just signed with Canelo Alvarez and other fights under Riyadh Season. Expectedly, the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol upcoming fight came into question as it is currently the biggest fight of the year. Coppinger asked for HE Alalshikh’s views and how the result would affect Benavidez.
The Saudi Royal laid down different avenues he could follow but claimed that the destiny of the Mexican Monster would remain unchanged. He will challenge the winner of the fight for the undisputed light heavyweight title. However, there is one more fight that the GEA chairman wants to see from the bottom of his heart. ” I hope one day, I can convince Canelo to have Benavidez,” claimed HE Alalshikh to the delight of many fans.
The statement must have given a bit of hope to David Benavidez, who has been constantly trying and failing to make this fight happen. Furthermore, it is a showdown that fans also want to see. However, the question remains, even if His Excellency convinces Canelo Alvarez the fight, when would it happen?
Canelo Alvarez’s packed schedule
According to Ring Magazine, the unified super middleweight champion will fight four times till 2026 under his four-fight deals. Per the itinerary shared by Ring Magazine, Canelo could face either Jermall Charlo or Bruno Surace for the May fixture. He will close out 2025 with a blockbuster dream clash against Terence Crawford in September. Considering even David Benavidez will only fight once more this year, a fight this year is not feasible.
Then after the September bout, he would return in May 2026. That is when Canelo and His Excellency are targeting the Dmitry Bivol rematch. Furthermore, it looks like even the Kyrgyzstan fighter has agreed to the rematch, as revealed by the GEA chairman in the same interview. That only leaves Canelo with the October 2026 date, where it is rumored he will face rising super middleweight star Hamzah Sheeraz or even settle for a Chris Eubank Jr. square-up.
However, if everything falls into place and Benavidez gets his hand on the undisputed title, the Saudi Royal might try to make this fight happen with all the titles on the line. A fight like that will truly be historic and will define the next era of Mexican boxing. While the prospect of the fight seems promising, we are still a long way away, and at this time; it is just a pipe dream.
Do you think the Saudi Royal will be able to convince Canelo Alvarez to face David Benavidez? Let us know your thoughts down below.
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