Promoter Oscar De La Hoya and his pupil Jaime Munguia are promising to do something Saul “Canelo” Alvarez doesn’t appear interested in, and that is signing off for a fight against David Benavidez.

Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs) will get a crack at the undisputed super middleweight champion Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) on May 4 after just two fights in the division, while Benavidez, a career-long super middleweight, has been stuck on the outside looking in at the “Canelo Sweepstakes.”

Alvarez recently stated it would take up to $200 million to get him to fight Benavidez.

“That's just another way of saying I don't want to fight him,” De La Hoya told BoxingScene. “That's the bottom line. That's it. So you throw out a number. It's classic Boxing 101. If you don't want to fight somebody, just outprice yourself.

“Jaime will be the next guy. He'll be the man. It'll be the passing of the torch [when he beats Alvarez]. We've had Canelo for some time, and he's in the fourth quarter of his career. Now is the time for the new blood and a new fighter to take the reins.”

De La Hoya said he would arrange a fight between Munguia and Benavidez “in a heartbeat.”

Both sides kicked off negotiations last year, but a deal never came close to crossing the finish line.

“If both of us keep winning and we both keep doing our thing, it's going to happen sooner rather than later,” Munguia told BoxingScene.

“Benavidez would be a great fight. I'm here to fight against the best. I see a lot of people are happy to see me fight against Canelo. Whatever is going on [between Alvarez and] David Benavidez, I'm not aware of it, and I don't know – and I honestly don't care. I am focused on myself and preparing for my fight.”

De La Hoya is predicting that the aging Alvarez will lose for what would be the second time in his five fights.

“[Canelo is beatable] because of all the wear and tear,” said De La Hoya. “It's just natural for a fighter who's been fighting for so long for their body to start breaking down. History in the sport shows there is no fighter who can sustain longevity when you are fighting the top guys over and over again. That's just the way it is. Jaime is younger, more energetic and motivated, and throws more punches. He has a good chin and can take a punch. When Canelo was Munguia's age, he was a dangerous fighter. He still is, but it's like a new Ferrari versus a classic Ferrari. You can't push the classic Ferrari to the limit anymore.”

De La Hoya also said that Munguia’s trainer, Freddie Roach, will be able to kick his charge into overdrive now that they are working in their second full camp together.

“He’s looking good in training. Fast and light on his feet. A lot of energy. He's fighting long. I like that,” De La Hoya said.

“Freddy brings experience and knowledge, and he knows how to talk to you to get the message across. I love the idea of Freddy and Jaime taking over boxing.”

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 X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.