Boxing
World champion 'still hopeful' of facing long-time rival Canelo: 'Always a possibility'
Parker vs Wardley only on DAZN PPV - Saturday
David Benavidez still hopes to one day meet Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez inside the ring, even after the Mexican superstar lost all four of his super middleweight belts to Terence Crawford.
Speculation has linked Benavidez, American-born but of Mexican heritage, to Canelo over the last few years, but no bout materialised between the two.
Undefeated in 30 fights, Benavidez held the WBC belt at super middleweight on two occasions, only to relinquish his title both times. The second time he was forced to vacate after failing to make weight for his 2020 contest with Roamer Alexis Angulo, and although he continued to campaign at 168lbs for three more years, Benavidez moved up to light heavyweight after it became apparent that despite his interim WBC belt, he would not be fighting Canelo.
However, the current WBC champion at 175lbs believes a fight with Canelo could always be made, as long as the Mexican is still active.
Benavidez told talkSPORT: “No I haven’t given up complete hope in that fight. I feel like until he retires and he’s out of the sport of boxing, there’s always going to be a possibility of that fight being made.
“And for good reason because at the end of the day, what other fight is there left for Canelo? And now it seems like I got the cards in my hands, he doesn’t have any belt at 168 and I have a belt at 175 and I’m planning to get all the belts at 175.”
Upgraded from interim WBC champ to full title holder earlier this year, Benavidez makes the first defence of his belt against Brit Anthony Yarde on Saturday, November 22, live on DAZN PPV.
Canelo previously fought at light heavyweight in 2019 and 2022, beating Sergey Kovalev to take the WBO world championship, before losing to Dmitry Bivol three years later. Benavidez has his eyes on multiple fights, with Bivol a target of his own.
Bivol defeated Artur Beterbiev in February 2025, exacting revenge for the defeat he suffered in their first fight four months earlier. Both fighters pledged to run it back for a trilogy bout with undisputed status on the line, but injury for Bivol has halted those plans. The WBC decided to strip Bivol of the WBC title, elevating Benavidez to full champion status in April.
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