The narrative that Mexican boxer Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez has been avoiding David Benavidez for years has been very profitable for the boxing world for some time, as it suggests that the Guadalajara-born fighter is simply not better than the challenger he so avoids, simply because it could call his legacy into question, especially as he is about to hang up his gloves.
It’s not that Benavidez is Canelo’s ‘Nemesis’, not by decree or for the benefit of any narrative, but in his career he has shown solvency and forcefulness, as well as great preparation that have given him a place in current boxing, and the right to ask to fight with the one that the mainstream considers the best pound for pound in the world.
Is David Benavidez Mexican or American?
The so-called ‘Mexican Monster’ gets its nickname from his Mexican origin, but he is actually American by birth, as he was born on December 17, 1996 in Phoenix, Arizona, to a Mexican father and Ecuadorian mother. However, he has dual nationality as he maintains his father’s nationality, in addition to the American one.
Therefore, due to the lack of opportunities in the United States and because of his age, David Benavidez began his career in the ring in Mexico, particularly in Puerto Peñasco and Nogales, both cities in the state of Sonora, and in Tecate and Tijuana, Baja California.
David Benavidez’s Impeccable Record
The man nicknamed ‘Red Flag’ maintains an impeccable record of 28 fights, all of them won, 20 of which he has won by knockout. This is reason enough for him to be considered a ‘natural adversary’ for Canelo Alvarez, especially because he belongs to the category in which the Mexican became the undisputed champion and where he boasts his WBC super middleweight titles (2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020) and WBC interim super middleweight titles (2022 and 2023).