David Benavidez has openly questioned the appeal of a reported showdown between Canelo Alvarez and Christian Mbilli. He offered a blunt reaction to the matchup.
The Ring Magazine reporter Mike Coppinger reported that Alvarez is set to face Mbilli in September in Riyadh for the latter’s WBC super-middleweight title. The bout is scheduled for September; however, no official announcement has been made yet.
The news quickly drew attention across the boxing world, and Benavidez did not hold back when asked about it.
Following the pre-fight press conference at MGM Grand to promote his fight against Gilberto Ramirez for his bout, speaking to reporters, sounding off on Canelo vs Mbilli. He suggests it lacks the level of interest fans expect from a Canelo bout.
“Nobody wants to see that sh*t,” Benavidez said. “You guys wanna see that? … Who the f**k is Mbilli?”
His comments reflect frustration with the direction of Canelo’s opposition, as Benavidez has long been linked to a potential fight with the Mexican star himself.
Benavidez names alternative opponents for Alvarez
Benavidez went further by naming Diego Pacheco as a more credible opponent. He argued that he brings greater recognition and value.
“I think he would’ve been better off fighting Diego Pacheco,” Benavidez said.
“Diego Pacheco has a much bigger name than Mbilli.”
Benavidez and Pacheco are good friends as Jose Benavidez trained them.
Focus remains on Benavidez’s upcoming fight
Despite his strong comments, Benavidez made it clear that his focus remains on his own upcoming challenge.
“I don’t know… you guys keep asking me about [Canelo],” he added. “This is a ‘Monster’ weekend. We’ve got great fights. Not only is the main event strong, the whole card is stacked.”
Benavidez is currently preparing to capture Gilberto Ramirez’s WBA and WBO unified cruiserweight title. They will go to war at the T-Mobile Arena on May 2. The event will be broadcast on DAZN pay-per-view.
Meanwhile, Alvarez has been out of action since his unanimous decision loss to Terence Crawford at Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, in September. More than 70000 fans have shown up in the stadium to witness the fight.
Following the loss, Alvarez underwent surgery on his left elbow that kept him away from the ring.
As for Benavidez, he has moved up in the division to fight Ramirez. Still, he remains the favorite among analysts to secure the victory. However, few have questioned how he will adjust to the new weight class and remain skeptical about his cardio and power.
It will be interesting to see what ‘The Monster’ will do in his fight, though he claimed he will go after Ramirez from the start and will try to get a stoppage in every round.
