David Benavidez says he has no reason to depart PBC for a fight against Canelo Alvarez on DAZN. He states that PBC and Al Haymon have been good to him, and even when he left, he would only be offered a one-fight deal. He’s comfortable where he’s at.
Given Benavidez’s stance about not leaving PBC, that ends any probability of him fighting Canelo unless the corporate goes out of business, which is feasible. He can stick with PBC until the bitter end.
At this point, Benavidez should stop harping about Canelo not fighting him, as he’s decided to remain at PBC and can have to be satisfied with the opponents they select for him. For David to proceed to discuss Canelo, he doesn’t seem to know that he’s the rationale the fight isn’t happening.
Benavidez says Canelo would have gotten $60 million plus upside to fight him with PBC, and he says it will be the identical thing over at DAZN. David doesn’t say where he got the $60M figure that he brings up, because the $55 million that his promoter Sampson Lewkowicz reportedly brought up was never verified to be real. It appears like Benavidez is just parroting stuff he’s heard without knowing the facts.
Benavidez isn’t considering that PBC reportedly wanted to vary Canelo’s deal instruction with them for his final two fights and wouldn’t do this.
“They’ve Taken Care of Me”
“People have kept criticizing me, saying I only need a payday. I’ve been making good money for seven years, really good money,” said David Benavidez to Thaboxingvoice, reacting to boxing fans saying he’s been begging Canelo Alvarez for a fight because he’s desperate for a payday.
“PBC and Al Haymon have taken care of me. So, what they were offering Canelo was near $60 million. That was before PPV buys,” Benavidez continued. “After PPV buys, it was going to be a killing.”
Benavidez hasn’t had big fights during his 11-year pro profession, so you have got to wonder how well PBC is taking good care of him. His biggest fights have come against Caleb Plant, David Lemieux, and Demetrius Andrade. Where are the mega-fights?
“I wasn’t going to be getting nothing. I used to be getting no percentage,” said Benavidez. “I used to be getting a fee of $5 million. I pay out all my people, and I’m left with $3.5 [million] before taxes. So, I used to be high-quality with that. I used to be completely high-quality with that. This guy was taking the whole lot.
The $60 Million Query
“He was literally taking the whole lot. I’m not saying he shouldn’t. He’s entitled to it. I don’t care. I would like the chance,” said Benavidez. “So, in the event that they’re going him [Canelo] $60 million over here [Premier Boxing Champions], what could they possibly give him over here [DAZN]? It’s the identical thing. So, why would I am going across the road once I’ve been getting treated really good with PBC and Al Haymon.
“Why would I am going across the road after they would probably only give me a one-fight deal, and it will be all in favor of Canelo? It’s really the identical thing. It doesn’t have anything to do with promotions, pay or none of that. Canelo doesn’t need to fight. It’s crazy that you simply guys can’t see that. Among the fans don’t see that. He doesn’t need to fight,” said Benavidez about Canelo.
It’s not the top of the world for Benavidez simply because he may never get the Canelo fight he’s been pushing for. He can still carve out a very good profession at 175 and 200, fighting Artur Beterbiev, Dmitry Bivol, and Jai Opetaia. He’s going to must fight those guys soon, though, because a few of them are getting old, and Opetaia could move as much as heavyweight in the hunt for greater things.
