- David Benavidez told Brian Custer a Canelo Alvarez fight is ‘never going to happen’ because Canelo simply does not want it
- Benavidez is looking at Jai Opetaia, Artur Beterbiev and a heavyweight move, with a fight against Michal Cieslak at 200lb next
- My view: walking away from the Canelo chase is the smartest thing Benavidez has done in years, and Opetaia is the fight that matters
Benavidez Drops The Canelo Chase
Right then. David Benavidez has finally said what the rest of us have known for years. Speaking to Brian Custer, the cruiserweight told him that a fight with Canelo Alvarez is “never going to happen”, and that he does not want to keep calling out a man who does not want to fight him. Let’s not beat around the bush, that is a mature thing to say, and it is long overdue.
Benavidez has not made 168lb since 2023. He is a proper cruiserweight now, fighting at 200lb, and the Canelo dream has been a distraction from the real business of building a legacy. Every week spent shouting at a man who is not listening is a week not spent on fights that can actually be made.
The Three-Fight Plan
So what is the plan? The names doing the rounds are Jai Opetaia, Artur Beterbiev and a move up to heavyweight, with Oleksandr Usyk the name Benavidez keeps coming back to. To be clear, there are no dates, no confirmed order and nothing signed. This is a wish list, not a schedule, and the only booked fight is Michal Cieslak at 200lb.
Opetaia Is The Fight That Matters
Make no mistake, Opetaia is the one. He is the proper test at cruiserweight, he has been waiting, and we already covered how Opetaia accepted the Cinco de Mayo date. If Benavidez wants to be taken seriously as the best cruiserweight on the planet, he has to go through the Australian. Everything else is noise.
Beterbiev And Usyk Are Different Questions
Beterbiev is a brilliant puncher, but the clock is ticking on that one. Usyk is another story altogether. Benavidez has the size and the engine to cause problems at heavyweight, but Usyk is levels above most men at his best, and we have written before about Usyk’s retirement plans. Fancy talk about a heavyweight run is easy. Doing it is hard.
My Prediction
I will not sit on the fence. Benavidez gets past Cieslak without much fuss, and the Opetaia fight becomes a genuine pick’em that I lean towards Benavidez on, because his pressure and volume wear men down in the second half. As for the Canelo chase, that is dead, and honestly it should be. Benavidez is better off for letting it go. If you know, you know.