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Former two division champion Timothy Bradley is salivating at the possibility of a future between Mexican super middleweights Saul ‘Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez.
Canelo is back in the ring on November 6, when he stakes his WBA, WBC, WBO super middleweight titles against IBF champion Caleb Plant. The winner will become the undisputed champion at 168-pounds.
Benavidez, a two-time super middleweight champion, will return a week later, on November 13, against former beltholder Jose Uzcategui.
Canelo’s next fight will be handled by Plant’s promoter, Premier Boxing Champions, who also guide the career on Benavidez.
The upcoming union between Canelo and PBC is a one-fight deal, but it could lead the way to a future clash with Benavidez.
“We have to see this fight,” Bradley told ESPN. “You want to put a warrior like David Benavidez against Alvarez. Benavidez’s a pressure fighter who likes to stay in front of his opponents, he has very quick hands, he throws very quick combinations, and can take punches well.
“Against Benavidez, Canelo will have to bite down a little bit. I don’t think Benavidez is going to be afraid of Canelo, and he’s gonna let his hands go. Benavidez believes he has what it takes to beat Alvarez — and that matters. I just think this matchup is explosive. You have the pressure and the hand speed of Benavidez, with his size and his length, against the savvy, quick on the feet, quick on the trigger, boxer-puncher, defensive type master in Alvarez.
Benavidez, who is still very young, would like to face Canelo – a four division champion – in the very near future.
Canelo knows how to deal with bigger fighters, but they didn’t have the engine or aggressiveness of Benavidez.
“Benavidez is still young, at 24, but he can hurt Alvarez. This is the fight I want to see right now. I just want to see if Canelo can deal with that pressure and size. Benavidez has very good hand speed and likes to throw punches when he has his opponent against the ropes, and we know that Canelo likes to hang against the ropes in a defensive position, which could be a perfect opportunity for Benavidez to let his hands go,” Bradley said.
“I have Canelo winning. He’s a different kind of fighter, and he’s delivering spectacular KOs. It’s not just about winning, it’s how you win that’s important when it comes to being a star. Canelo is dominating the competition and that’s why he’s one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.”