Fresh off his historic win over William Scull on May 3, Canelo Alvarez became the first fighter in history to reclaim the undisputed super middleweight crown for a second time. At 34 and with nearly 70 professional bouts under his belt, the Guadalajara native remains focused on legacy—not noise.
Yet the noise has been hard to ignore. In a recent interview with FightHype, Canelo fired back at David Benavidez, who for years has publicly called for a fight with the Mexican superstar.
“The way he talks, he thinks he’s Superman. He’s very disrespectful—not just with me, but with everybody. And he’s accomplished nothing,” Canelo said, making it clear that in his view, Benavidez’s confidence is built on hype rather than proven merit.
Canelo’s response to Benavidez
Canelo’s frustration goes beyond bravado. Benavidez, once the WBC mandatory challenger at 168 pounds, recently moved up to light heavyweight after a long-anticipated clash with Canelo failed to materialize. The move came shortly before Benavidez was named WBC light heavyweight champion, following Dmitry Bivol’s decision to vacate in pursuit of a trilogy bout with Artur Beterbiev.
Canelo Alvarez to face Terence Crawford in September 2025. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
For Canelo, Benavidez’s current status doesn’t warrant serious attention. “He’s not even a champion. He’s not even in my weight class already… At this point in my career, I can do whatever I want,” Canelo added.
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A super fight that may never happen
Despite fans consistently pushing for a Canelo-Benavidez showdown, the prospects remain dim. With Canelo targeting select high-profile opponents and Benavidez establishing himself at 175 pounds, the timeline for such a bout appears to be running out.
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If it doesn’t happen, both fighters will continue down separate—and perhaps equally defining—paths. But when it comes to Canelo’s perspective, the matter seems settled: Benavidez may talk like a champion, but in Canelo’s eyes, he hasn’t earned the right to be in the conversation.
