Terence Crawford Explains Why Canelo Is Avoiding Benavidez

WBA junior middleweight champion Terence Crawford has weighed in on accusations that Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs), the WBA, WBC, and WBO super middleweight champion, is deliberately avoiding a fight with David Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs), the WBC interim light heavyweight champion.

According to Crawford, Canelo has never been one to dodge tough opponents and has consistently accepted challenges—even when fighters openly taunted him. However, in the case of Benavidez, "Bud" believes it’s not just about boxing, but national pride.

"If you look at Canelo’s history, there have been plenty of bold fighters who disrespected him and called him out. And he fought them all—from Shane Mosley to Lara, Danny Jacobs, and Saunders.

When you look at everyone who showed disregard for Canelo, he still stepped in the ring with them. But in this case, when you have two Mexicans, and one of them is being particularly dismissive toward the other, Canelo took it as a matter of national pride rather than just sporting rivalry.

He rejected the sporting aspect and chose not to give Benavidez a massive payday. He did it because he took it personally," Crawford told Ring Magazine.

On May 3, Canelo is set to face William Scull for the undisputed super middleweight title.

Meanwhile, on February 1, David Benavidez defeated David Morrell by unanimous decision, despite suffering a knockdown during the fight.