Undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez is the division’s kingpin, but there are a group of fighters clamoring for the opportunity to challenge boxing’s biggest breadwinner.
The stiffest challenge that can be presented to Alvarez in 2024 is a fight against former two-time 168-pound titlist David Benavidez.
If you ask Benavidez’s stablemate and fellow super middleweight upstart Diego Pacheco, the 22-year-old believes Benavidez is the division’s cream of the crop.
“In my eyes, I feel that David Benavidez is the best 168-pound fighter in the world,” Pacheco told BoxingScene.com in an interview ahead of his DAZN main event fight Saturday night against Marcelo Esteban Coceres.
“David is a fighter who is a lot hungrier than Canelo. He throws a lot more punches and he’s an aggressive fighter who also has a lot of skills. I see him in the gym. He’s constantly working on everything as well as perfecting the little things.
“It’s funny because you have some of Canelo’s sparring partners come to Seattle to work with us and they are like, ‘Man, this is why Canelo doesn’t want to fight you David because you’re the f***ing Mexican Monster. You’re a beast. You’re too much.’ Canelo is a great fighter and I take nothing away from him. He’s a legend and one of the best of our generation but I feel like he’s not in his prime anymore. Pretty soon he’ll have to pass the torch to someone else. I feel like that time is coming very soon.”
Pacheco is trained by Benavidez’s father Jose Benavidez Sr. Jose has been busy preparing David for his fight against Demetrius Andrade, while his other son Jose is set to take on Jermall Charlo in the co-feature of a November 25 pay-per-view card on Showtime.
“Jose Sr. is a great trainer. He’s always there making sure we are learning from each other. Camp has been great alongside these guys,” said Pacheco. “It’s great to be around great fighters who are at the top of the game. Everyone is locked in and pushing each other. It’s a great learning experience being alongside these guys. I’m grateful for it.
“To be training alongside [David Benavidez], it doesn’t get better than that. I’m super grateful that I get to be alongside him. He’s been at the top and is always giving me advice. He’s been through what I am going through right now, so I am a student of the game, always listening, always trying to get better in every sense of life. I appreciate them paving the way for me.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer, and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.