“Honestly, I don’t know why the fight didn’t happen,” Benavidez told the media about the Canelo fight. “If you think about all the fights in boxing, this is the biggest fight just because of the names. We both have a lot of talent. We both fight with a lot of heart. This could be one of the biggest fights in boxing history.
“I was ready then, and I’m still ready now. I can still make 175. He’s fought there two or three times, and if they want to make the fight, I can go down to that weight. He says it’s impossible, impossible that I can make the weight, but I can make it. If they want that fight, I’m 100 percent ready to make that fight happen.”
Benavidez recently added two cruiserweight titles with his stoppage win over Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez, but he admitted the lingering questions about Canelo follow him no matter what he accomplishes in the ring.
“I get frustrated because every time I do something, every time I win a belt or win a fight, it’s always Canelo there. Canelo, Canelo, Canelo,” Benavidez said.
“I’ve already told everybody, there’s nothing more I can do. I can’t do anything there. I want that fight too, just like everybody else wants the fight. If it can’t happen, it can’t happen.”
Benavidez said he still considers the Ramirez fight the biggest moment of his career so far because of the sellout crowd and the reaction he got from Mexican fans after the win.
“I feel very proud of all the work we’ve done,” Benavidez said. “I moved up another division, won two titles, the whole event sold out, and the media attention was also huge. So far, it was the biggest fight of my career.”
