Canelo Alvarez is warming up to the idea of one day fighting David Benavidez.

During a media workout in San Diego to promote his May 6 fight against John Ryder (32-5, 18 KOs) in Mexico, Alvarez (58-2-2, 39 KOs) intimated that he’s open to fighting all comers. 

“I don't say no to any fight. But I have goals this year. Then, we'll see,” said Alvarez. 

The undisputed super middleweight champion Alvarez is anticipating a rematch bout against Dmitry Bivol in September to avenge his May 2022 loss to the Russian, and by 2024, the Mexican star should have a menu of high-octane options to consider. 

Chief among the list will be the two-time super middleweight champion Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs), who is the No. 1 mandatory challenger for the 168-pound WBC belt that Alvarez currently owns. 

Benavidez is coming off an impressive unanimous decision win against former Alvarez rival Caleb Plant. 

“[Benavidez-Plant] was a good fight, like I expected,” Alvarez opined. “It was a good performance. I think Caleb Plant had a really good fight in the beginning, and then what I expected. At the end of the fight, Benavidez won the fight … [My performance against Caleb Plant] was different. Styles make fights.” 

Benavidez has forced the issue on Alvarez over the course of the last year demanding that a fight needs to take place in order to determine who indeed is the best 168-pound fighter in the world. 

Benavidez twice lost his titles due to infractions that included missing weight and using cocaine. 

Alvarez eventually picked up the WBC vacant title once owned by Benavidez in 2021 by knocking out the outmatched Avni Yildirim. 

Alvarez has been mostly lukewarm around the idea of brawling with Benavidez, previously citing reasons that Benavidez is not accomplished enough and he prefers not to fight fellow Mexicans, but alas, it appears Alvarez is finally coming around the idea. 

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer, and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.