Canelo vs David Benavidez is fast becoming the new slow-burning blockbuster PPV after Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao.
That’s the view of many, including Canelo’s manager and trainer, Eddy Reynoso. The coach made the comparison when stating he is reasoning for why the fight isn’t happening now despite plenty of demand.
Fans and media want Canelo vs Benavidez on May 4 but will be disappointed by a reported split with Al Haymon by the former. Instead of seeing out a three-fight deal rumored to finish with a Benavidez fight, Canelo has walked away. He left $70 million on the table for the remaining two bouts.
Canelo vs David Benavidez
This scenario puts Canelo vs Benavidez on hold, at least until 2025, if the Mexican superstar signs a two-fight deal with DAZN. Benavidez will move up in weight during the delay and may never return to his old weight.
Despite fears over the contrast, Reynoso states the fight will get made when it makes the most sense. It took Mayweather vs Pacquiao eight years to eventually get over the line from the first time they were linked in 2007.
They faced the same opponents: Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, and Juan Manuel Marquez. However, they couldn’t get it together as the fans craved the fight year after year.
In a sad admission when speaking to ESPNMX, Reynoso says Canelo vs Benavidez can still be justified in waiting longer.
“The fight with Benavidez may take time or may never happen, but it depends on many things,” said Reynoso. “There were fights that never happened. Look at Lennox Lewis with Riddick Bowe, Julio Cesar Chavez with Terry Norris, and Erik Morales with Juan Manuel Marquez. None of them stopped going into the Hall of Fame because of that.
Mayweather vs Pacquiao
“There were others that, although it took a while, ended up being done like that of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Among the fighters, there is no fear; we wait for the conditions to be met.”
Reynoso is correct about the Hall of Fame angle. However, the fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao left much to be desired. Floyd was 38 when it happened and didn’t attempt to fight fire with fire, as he may have if he was younger.
Therefore, Mayweather’s defensive genius played the most part in the fight, and the spectacle suffered as a result. If both were younger, it had the potential to be the Fight of the Year, as was predicted for many years before.
If Canelo vs Benavidez marinates any longer, the chances of Reynoso masterminding a victory will diminish yearly.
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