David Benavidez criticizes Canelo Alvarez for PPV price and fight selection

Undercard fighter David Benavidez used the spotlight this week to go after superstar Canelo Alvarez, criticizing him for charging fans big money for his pay-per-view fights.

Benavidez claims Canelo is disrespecting fans by charging exorbitant amounts of money for his fights, but failing to fight the best, himself and David Morrell.

The hypocrisy of Benavidez’s PPV

“The Mexican Monster” Benavidez (28-0, 24 KO) forgets to mention that fans had to pay to watch his last two fights on PPV. Benavidez’s last two fights took place on PPV against Caleb Plant and Demetrius Andrade. Canelo knocked out Plant in 2021.

They weren’t PPV-worthy fights, and his match against Andrade only brought in 60,000 buys. Therefore, Benavidez fights on the undercard of Gervonta Davis against Frank Martin this Saturday night.

“This guy charges so much for PPVs, it’s like he spits in your face,” Benavidez told the media. “He says he doesn’t care what you guys want; he’s not going to give you the best fights.

What Benavidez considers “the best fights” is Canelo fighting him, but he doesn’t bring anything to the table because he’s not a PPV draw, as we saw with his fights against Andrade and Plant.

Avoiding the real test

Fans just don’t seem interested in paying to watch Benavidez, and you could say that’s because he’s failed to measure up to the best during his 11-year professional career.

Benavidez’s best wins were against Andrade, a junior middleweight, and Plant, who Canelo had already knocked out. In hindsight, Benavidez should have moved up to 175 in 2015 and fought Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. If Benavidez had beaten these two, he would be a big PPV star and wouldn’t need Canelo to sell his fights.

“If you hold all the titles, you have to fight the best in the division,” Benavidez continued. “I’m No. 1 and No. 2 is David Morrell. He’s not fighting me, and he’s not fighting Morrell.

Benavidez was called out several times by WBA “regular” super middleweight champion Morrell and he did not answer the call to face him. Instead of fighting Morrell, Benavidez fought the older Andrade on PPV, and that one blew up, bringing in just 60,000 buys last November on Showtime.

Benavidez is a hypocrite who criticizes Canelo for not fighting dangerous puncher Morrell when he wouldn’t do it himself.

“How long has he [Canelo] is going to call himself champion if he doesn’t fight No. 1 or No. 2,” Benavidez said. “He’s disrespecting you guys. If you’re okay with that, then I can’t say anything about it.

Benavidez needs to practice what he preaches because he isn’t fighting the best and he fled the 168-pound division rather than fight the talented Cuban Morrell in what would have been his first real test of his career.