David Benavidez attempting to prove he can replace legend Canelo Alvarez
David Benavidez is the great, new, American-Mexican hope, a superstar in waiting. He believes he is good enough to replace Saul Canelo Alvarez at the box office and in the hearts of two nations.
His opponent in Las Vegas for the WBC’s interim super middleweight title, Caleb Plant, has lost only once, to Canelo. Benavidez can be reckless. He presents a big target punching from all angles, and Plant’s left hook is outstanding.
This is Plant’s opportunity to prove he is still in the front rank of fighters. He put up a hell of a fight 18 months ago, stopped in the 11th, but he pushed Canelo hard. Plant is a bit of character, a personality. He’s a good looking lad, and knows it, but in an individual sport like boxing, that is no bad thing.
If you lack confidence in yourself you can easily get exposed in the trenches. You need to know your worth in this game, how much you are willing to suffer, because at the top that is the great differentiator. The question over Plant is how much that stoppage loss to Canelo took out of him. Sometimes fighters are never the same.
Benavidez has it all, big at the weight, hits hard and throws a lot of pinches. He won’t waste a second in the ring. He is not here to box, but to destroy. That very Mexican attitude explains his popularity.
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In the space around Canelo the questions focus on desire. Does Canelo still have the hunger? We won’t get the answer watching him topple 40-year-olds like Gennady Golovkin. Or by beating John Ryder for that matter.
Canelo has been a superstar for a decade. Everybody wants a piece of him. I experienced a bit of that back in the day. As Marvin Hagler used to say, it’s hard to get up in a morning and do your work when you are sleeping in silk pyjamas.
David Benavidez during his victory over Francy Ntetu (Bill Tompkins/Getty Images)Canelo has managed it well enough thus far. But the chat rooms are full of speculation about what happens next. Many claim the hunger has gone. So there is a lot at stake in this fight for Benavidez. He is being matched hard in Las Vegas. Can he do what Canelo did and put Plant away?
Plant has guts to burn. Benavidez is unbeaten but he has not yet had his trial by fire, not been taken to the limit. Plant has and came up marginally short. But he is good enough to push Benavidez all the way, which should tell us more about his potential to replace Canelo.
Talent is not always the ultimate arbiter. In matches like this it’s about the guy who wants it more, which makes this such an enthralling show.
- Follow Barry on Twitter at @clonescyclone @mcguigans_gym
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