Canelo leaves the future up in the air

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez dropped a bombshell: he's not ruling out a fight against David Benavidez, the opponent most requested by fans.

During a press conference ahead of his September 13 fight against Terence Crawford, the Guadalajara native was emphatic:

“I never say no to anything, but we'll see later. But I'm focused 100% on this fight.”

These statements sparked immediate speculation on social media, as many believe they mean that the generational clash everyone wants to see could finally happen in 2026.

The rivalry the world wants to see

The tension between Canelo and Benavidez is nothing new. The World Boxing Council even named Benavidez as the mandatory contender, but the fight never materialized, which even led to Álvarez losing one of his belts for failing to defend it.

For his part, Benavidez has insisted on multiple occasions that he is willing to return to 168 pounds to make the fight happen, even accepting a financial proposal where he would receive $5 million compared to the $60 million plus PPV percentage that Canelo would receive.

The fight that could influence the super middleweight division

If Canelo defeats Terence Crawford in Las Vegas, the stage will be set for Turki Al-Alshikh and Riyadh Season to make the most anticipated fight in the super middleweight division a reality.

A potential Canelo vs. Benavidez fight would not only represent a clash of styles, but also a generational confrontation between the established champion and the challenger seeking to dethrone him. It would be an event that could mark a turning point in the recent history of boxing.

With those words, Canelo not only silenced critics who accuse him of avoiding Benavidez, but also fueled hopes that the highly anticipated matchup could happen in 2026.

For now, Canelo has his mind set on Crawford, but the champion's words made it clear that the “Mexican Monster” is on his radar.