Will Canelo Not Fighting Benavidez Leave Stain on Legacy?

[just the facts]

Lol, I agree he has a solid resume. Benavidez is carving out his own legacy. But there was a small time frame in which both fighters were at 168 and there were very valid reasons for the fight to happen. The blame for the fight not happening could lay more on Canelo since he was the money fighter and held most or all of the belts. Right now I think it's leaving question marks on Canelo's legacy. But maybe in 10-15 years people will look back on it differently. I don't know.

That “small time frame” was 3 years long. In those 3 years, Benevidez had the ability to bring Canelo more $$$, legacy and prestige than any other 168 lber and he had the best resume as well. All we got from Canelo was weak excuses and outrageous purse demands he knew no promoter would pay. Here the straight dope, if Canelo thought he could beat Benevidez, that fight would have happened already. He doesn’t………….

[SUBZER0ED]

Great post. A couple years ago I thought the noise to fight Benavidez would grow too loud for him to ignore. He could only avoid the fight so long until the walls started to close in. Had Benavidez remained at 168 I think the noise would be pretty loud right now. But now that he's at 175, the clamor has gone down a bit. But like you said, those questions will always linger. I would think Canelo would care more deeply about his image but it seems like he's ok with how things are going.

Canelo is concerned about his image. He'd rather face the humiliation of ducking Benavidez, than the humiliation of getting beaten pillar to post by him.

[SUBZER0ED]

Put it this way, Canelo will never be known as the greatest Mexican boxer by those who know boxing. And ducking a real challenge like David Benavidez certainly doesn't help Saul's image at all.

[Oracle01]

That “small time frame” was 3 years long. In those 3 years, Benevidez had the ability to bring Canelo more $$$, legacy and prestige than any other 168 lber and he had the best resume as well. All we got from Canelo was weak excuses and outrageous purse demands he knew no promoter would pay. Here the straight dope, if Canelo thought he could beat Benevidez, that fight would have happened already. He doesn’t………….

You can even go longer than 3 years really.

[Dodger07]

I'm beginning to believe that we may never see Canelo vs. Benavidez. Benavidez is firmly at 175 pounds and he looks like a legit 175 pound fighter. I believe at 168 pounds he would rehydrate to around 200 pounds.

Canelo beat a declining Kovalev at 175 but came up short against a prime Bivol. Canelo is also a small guy. Yes, he's acclimated at 168 pounds but let's admit that he's usually the fighter with a smaller frame fighting bigger fighters.

How much would not taking the Benavidez fight really affect his legacy? Will the time frame in which they were both at 168 pounds, with all the reasons to make the fight happen, overshadow the fact that Benavidez will have moved on to 175 and beyond while Canelo stayed at 168?

It’s a reach but I do see a path for Canelo-Benavidez happening. If Benavidez beats the winner of Bivol-Beterbiev that would grow his profile a lot. Especially if it’s Bivol since he beat the guy that dominated Canelo. At that point, Ginger may agree to fight him if it’s at a catchweight of 170 lbs or so for David’s lhw title(s).

Not holding my breath for any of this but that’s the main way a fight between them may materialize imo

[STREET CLEANER]

Canelo refusing to fight him is promotion for David

[Lance98]

He doesn't want to face bivol in a rematch and doesn't want to fight benavidez. He should retire after the crawford fight if he doesn't want to fight anyone else.

[YOU WILL LOSE]

benavidez is not a stain on canelo resume,but on his chones,

[HandsofIron]

But he was ready to go all the way to heavyweight
I recall when the Canelo nuthuggers were claiming he would be heavyweight champ some day

Lol, yeah I know, casual fangirls gonna fangirl but seriously.......168 is overrated.

Canelo vs that new boy at MW Janibek is the only thing im interested in seeing.

[Willow The Wisp]

I'm beginning to believe that we may never see Canelo vs. Benavidez. Benavidez is firmly at 175 pounds and he looks like a legit 175 pound fighter. I believe at 168 pounds he would rehydrate to around 200 pounds.

Canelo beat a declining Kovalev at 175 but came up short against a prime Bivol. Canelo is also a small guy. Yes, he's acclimated at 168 pounds but let's admit that he's usually the fighter with a smaller frame fighting bigger fighters.

How much would not taking the Benavidez fight really affect his legacy? Will the time frame in which they were both at 168 pounds, with all the reasons to make the fight happen, overshadow the fact that Benavidez will have moved on to 175 and beyond while Canelo stayed at 168?

Benavidez will always be thought of as one big fish that got away; especially if he prospers at 175. That said; you can't fight em' all. Benavidez was ranked in the top spot in Canelo's division for a very long while however, and unless he gets tooled at 175, becomes 'incarcerated' by his limitations and promptly forgotten, he will serve as a symbol of Alvarez's reluctance to engage with the best.