Canelo Alvarez is just hours away from making the walk for yet another undisputed super-middleweight world title defence, but fans wish he was facing someone else.
Alvarez is headlining at the T-Mobile Arena against Jaime Munguia for Cinco De Mayo weekend in a bout where he is heavily favoured. But fan interest appears to be in a clash between he and David Benavidez, who is planning a move up to light-heavyweight if he can’t earn an undisputed shot.
Despite clear interest in a fight with Benavidez, it appears that Alvarez is not keen to make the matchup. He has even slapped an unreachable $200million price tag on himself, essentially shutting down negotiations.
Canelo Alvarez insists his price is $150-200million for David Benavidez fight
Despite the keen interest from fans and his clear position as a top 168lb contender, Benavidez appears to be low down Alvarez’s list of priorities.
When promoter Sampson Lewkowicz claimed that there had been a $55million offer for the fight, the champion laughed it off. He insisted he could get that against any contender at the weight, and joked that Benavidez would likely rehydrate an obscene amount after they got on the scales.
“No, nothing is true. I don’t know where you got that. Never, never, never,” Alvarez told media last month. “Not that I know, and I know everything. He offered that amount, he say? That amount, I can make with anybody. That’s nothing.
“He brings nothing to the table for me. He brings just 25 pounds more on that night. That’s it. It’s not him because he has nothing to offer me, anything. I’m the one.
“But if one promoter who I work with comes and offers me $150 million to $200 million, I’ll fight tomorrow. That’s the only reason I would fight with him because the only thing he brings to the table is 25lb.”
David Benavidez blasts Canelo Alvarez over purse demand
The contender is now moving up to light-heavyweight, and claims he will only stick around at 168lb for Alvarez. But he laughed at the preposterous price tag being mentioned, and joked that they might need to set up a crowdfunding effort in order to get the fight.
Speaking with Boxing Social, Benavidez said: “The money for Canelo Alvarez that’s right is $200million. Nobody’s going to give $200million for that.
“So if somebody could come up to $200million and we make a GoFundMe account then maybe we get it. But right now, nobody’s paying $200million for that.”