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Jose Benavidez Sr., father and trainer of two-time super middleweight champion David Benavidez, does not believe that Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez will ever fight his son.
The WBC recently ordered a final eliminator between Benavidez and Caleb Plant – with the winner securing a mandatory crack at Canelo, who holds the undisputed crown at 168.
“To be honest, Canelo will not fight David Benavidez”, Benavidez Sr told Izquierdazo.
“I think he will try to vacate that belt. He will pretend to be angry and won’t take the fight with David Benavidez. I believe his fans will not be happy, and I think that will be a stain in his career. (It will be an obstacle) to be that great Mexican and make history.”
At the recent WBC convention in Mexico, the sanctioning body assured both parties that the Benavidez-Plant winner would land Canelo.
However, even if they get a victory over Plant, and the WBC orders a mandatory fight, Benavidez Sr. is skeptical about a contest with Canelo actually happening.
“I think that Canelo will vacate that belt,” insists Benavidez Sr. “(The fight between Benavidez and Canelo) will never happen. Little by little, the sanctioning bodies will be stripping (Canelo) of his titles. If he doesn’t do what they order, he will be stripped of his belts.
“Canelo is infuriated now, that (WBC) ordered a mandatory (eliminator}. I had never heard something as ridiculous as (Canelo) saying that he won’t fight against other Mexicans. When you are a champion, you have to fight with everyone. There are fighters like Canelo, that when they get to the top, they forget where they came from. He took his feet off the ground. The nationality doesn’t matter, a champion has to fight with the opponents that are coming up and have done their job.
“The WBC did what they had to do, and my respect to them. I’m grateful. To make history, (Canelo) needs to fight David Benavidez. All the people want that fight. For him (Canelo) to close his career and remain as one of the best in the world and retire, he has to fight with David Benavidez.”