Canelo Alvarez declares it would take ‘$150 million to $200 million’ for…

If one were to ask undeniable incredibly middleweight champ Canelo Alvarez about sticking to the general public need that he fight unbeaten previous two-time champ David Benavidez, they must accept a salted and dismissive remark. 

But must they wish to really see the fight, which would be among the greatest the sport might make to close 2024, the Mexican icon has actually now raised his cost substantially. 

Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) talked with media members after Tuesday’s kickoff interview in Los Angeles for his May 4 return against compatriot Jaime Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs) and rejected reports from Benavidez’s promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz, that their group had actually provided Alvarez a handbag of $55 million to accept the fight. 

“No, absolutely nothing holds true. I do not understand where you got that. Never, never ever, never ever,” Alvarez stated. “Not that I understand, and I understand whatever. He provided that quantity, he state? That quantity, I can make with anyone. That has absolutely nothing. 

“[Benavidez] brings absolutely nothing to the table for me. He brings simply 25 pounds more on that night. That’s it. It’s not him due to the fact that he has absolutely nothing to use me, anything. I’m the one. But if one promoter who I deal with comes and provides me $150 million to $200 million, I’ll fight tomorrow. That’s the only factor I would fight with him due to the fact that the only thing he gives the table is 25 pounds.”

The 25 pounds was a recommendation to the quantity of weight that Benavidez, a 27-year-old local of Phoenix, rehydrated to one day after making the 168-pound limitation for his November TKO win over unbeaten, previous two-division champ Demetrius Andrade. 

Benavidez, who was nicknamed “The Monster” by Hall of Famer Mike Tyson, has actually ended up being the boogie male of the department following successive blowout wins on PPV in 2023 over Caleb Plant and Andrade. But in spite of his best shots in calling out Alvarez, the title fight continues to avoid him.  

Even though Benavidez has actually two times been removed of his WBC title (for missing out on weight and stopping working a drug test), he’s thought about by a lot of professionals to be the best mix of size, speed, power and aggressiveness to offer Alvarez problem. 

The issue for Alvarez, 33, is that the more he waits Benavidez out, the older he gets while Benavidez continues to improve. But the situation represents the very first time Alvarez has actually undergone this level of severe criticism for his matchmaking considering that he required previous middleweight champ Gennadiy Golovkin to wait 2 years till he was 35 till he accepted their very first of 3 battles in 2017. 

“I do not require to fight anyone,” Alvarez stated. “I do not require to show to anyone anything due to the fact that I keep in mind when this occurred with Golovkin. I do not require to show anything to anyone. This fight with Jaime Munguia, you require to appreciate this due to the fact that this fight is more vital than those other battles. It is what it is. And I keep in mind when you guys are constantly asking me for Golovkin and after that I fight Golovkin. And then, it’s Billy Joe Saunders. And then, it’s Caleb Plant. And then …

“So, never ever suffices for you guys. I do not require to show anything to anybody, any longer. I’ve done whatever in my profession.”

The action from Alvarez is a clear departure from the personality he flashed in getting nearly universal appreciation in 2021 when he finished a stretch of 4 wins in 11 months, consisting of 3 against unbeaten champs, en path to ending up being the very first four-belt undeniable king at incredibly middleweight and the sport’s pound-for-pound finest. 

Alvarez then doubled down upon his aspirations following his knockout of Plant by returning as much as 175 pounds where he unsuccessfully challenged unbeaten titleholder Dmitry Bivol in 2022 before flirting with a go up to cruiserweight that never ever concerned fulfillment. 

Given Alvarez’s duplicated determination to handle the hardest obstacles offered, consisting of battling Floyd Mayweather in 2013 when he was simply 23, it was anticipated that battling Benavidez within his own department would not be a concern. 

Alvarez stunned the boxing neighborhood in current months by liquifying his 3-fight handle Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions after simply one fight. Yet, after going shopping deals on the free market, Alvarez picked to return to Haymon to protect the Munguia bout in a one-fight handle PBC, which likewise represents Benavidez. 

“I’m delighted to deal with everyone. I’m delighted to deal with Al Haymon and he enjoys to deal with me,” Alvarez stated. “If something took place, or if there is something more vital for me to do, I’m going to do it. And I’m going to be excellent with Haymon, with everyone. I like to deal with everyone and they understand I am really disciplined and a difficult employee. That’s why I can do whatever.”

Earlier this month, Tyson slammed Alvarez’s choice to prevent Benavidez by honestly contemplating whether he hesitated to accept the fight. Alvarez closed Tuesday’s media scrum by reacting to a concern requesting a reaction.  

“I would appreciate [Tyson’s] viewpoint if he was sober,” Alvarez stated.