Benavidez, Crawford or Bivol? Calculating Canelo’s conundrum

By Ben Palmer

“I’ll enjoy my victory and see what comes next”. That was Saul ‘Canelo’ Álvarez’s somewhat terse response when asked what his future holds after a unanimous decision victory over the resolute Edgar Berlanga. 

It was business as usual at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, September 14th. Another hungry young challenger, steadfast in their assertions that they were the man to turn the super-middleweight division on its head, was outthought, outfought and, ultimately, outshone by Canelo. Berlanga offered more resistance than many anticipated but could never gain a foothold in the contest, indelibly swimming against a current of Canelo’s making.

In many ways, the Mexican is a victim of his own success. For most pugilists, swatting away a brash up-and-comer with relative ease would be cause for lionised deference. Yet, as Canelo sat in his post-fight press conference, the questions he fielded, by and large, revolved around his future: what, and more pertinently who, is next?

David Benavidez

It’s the bout that most boxing fans have been calling for Canelo to take. Benavidez, an undefeated former champion in his own right, seemed on a collision course for a seismic showdown with Canelo.  

A four-weight world champion who hauled boxing upon his back and dragged it through the treacherous terrains of COVID, it’s hard to throw that muddy, unseemly d-word towards Canelo: ducking. Yet, whenever Benavidez’s name is uttered, unworkable fiscal demands from Canelo halt negotiations dead in their tracks. 

Speaking in May this year, he put his cards well and truly on the table. “All I see is that Benavidez is 25 or 30 pounds heavier than me on the day of the fight. I have no problem with that, but if he wants me to fight him it’s $200 million”.

Benavidez’s nickname ‘El Monstruo’ (The Monster) is certainly befitting, with his gargantuan frame dwarfing any adversaries in the super-middleweight division. But size has never been an issue previously; Canelo has twice fought at light-heavyweight and is seldom the bigger man in the ring.

Nevertheless, with Benavidez himself now operating at light-heavyweight, a clash with Canelo looks to be consigned to the annals of boxing history, filed under the fights that never were.

Terence Crawford

In the aftermath of Crawford’s triumph over undefeated welterweight rival Errol Spence, murmurings of a match-up between himself and Canelo began. 

While previously, this fantasy fight would have remained just that, Turki Alalshikh’s interest in staging the bout gave it a different hue. But it takes two to tango, and Canelo was unwilling to discuss the prospect of fighting Crawford while simultaneously preparing for battle with Berlanga.

In a sport like boxing, it would be asinine to assume conversations to stage the contest would resume once Canelo ousted his challenger. Alalshikh’s reaction to his rebuttal was to chastise him, fanning the flames on the caustic playground of X as he accused the Mexican of looking for “easier” opposition since his most recent defeat, being “afraid” of Crawford, time-wasting and making excuses. 

This match-up is an enticing one, yes, but one that has very much been championed by Alalshikh. Without his ability to work with Canelo and propel the fight forward, it will lie dormant; a damaged firework, unable to ignite.

Crawford is one of the modern greats. Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing

Dmitry Bivol

Dmitry Bivol is in pretty good company, sitting pretty alongside Floyd Mayweather Jr as one of only two men to emerge victorious against Canelo in the professional ranks. It was back in May 2022 that Bivol defeated the Mexican via unanimous decision, defending his WBA light-heavyweight belt in the process.

Rumours of a rematch between the pair have never truly disappeared since. Canelo is not a man used to defeat and has reiterated the desire to admonish his demons from that night in Nevada. 

As is often the case in boxing, discrepancies around weight have thwarted the bout’s progress: but not in the way fight fans have become accustomed to. No, it’s not rehydration clauses muddying the waters this time; instead, both want the contest to take place in their opponent’s weight category. 

Bivol, a light-heavyweight, has stated his intention to relieve Canelo of his belts at super-middleweight, believing this would refute any claims from naysayers who argue Canelo fought him in unfamiliar territory. Meanwhile, his Mexican foe wants to leave no room for detractors to claim he is depleting Bivol of his full arsenal and rematch him at light-heavyweight.

It’s an unusual, albeit noble, cause of disaccord between the two camps, as both men seek to evade a metaphorical asterisk being levied towards them in the event of victory. No matter how righteous the disagreement, however, the rematch remains in a state of inertia. 

Of course, it would be remiss to not mention the Artur Beterbiev-shaped silhouette looming over Dmitry Bivol as their historic meeting on October 12th draws nearer. Regardless of the outcome, though, Canelo is not a man often acquainted with the acerbic taste of defeat; an opportunity to turn the tables on Bivol would surely whet the appetite of a man so used to vanquishing all those that lay before him.

Dmitry Bivol catches Lyndon Arthur during their fight in Riyadh. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

So, where does this leave Canelo? 

A bona fide boxing superstar, he is a master of his own destiny and can construct his path in whichever way he sees fit. Canelo is on the home stretch of a glittering career, but there are only a handful of opponents that will elevate his legacy in the sport to even loftier heights.