Canelo Alvarez won't 'fight with Mexicans' out of respect for his country

[Joe Money]

SAN DIEGO — The question was innocuous, the response shocking.

Believe him or not, Canelo Alvarez said he would not be interested in fighting unbeaten former super-middleweight champion Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez. And he won't be swayed even if Ramirez defeats unbeaten World Boxing Association light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol — who previously took down Alvarez — in November.

“If it’s Zurdo, I don’t want to fight with Mexicans … I represent Mexico," Alvarez told USA TODAY Sports at his media day in San Diego. "I think Zurdo has a chance to win (against Bivol), and I want him to win."

Boxing's former pound-for-pound king, Alvarez (57-2-2, 39 KOs), spent his formative years fighting a slew of his countrymen while building his career as an immensely popular television fighter in Mexico. The four-division champion most recently entered the ring against a Mexican in 2017, routing Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. by unanimous decision.

Since then, he's fought Eastern Europeans, including long-reigning middleweight champion Gennadiy Golovkin. The Canelo-Golovkin trilogy takes place Sept. 17 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be Alvarez's 11th consecutive bout against a non-Mexican foe.

Other foes included: Americans Caleb Plant and Daniel Jacobs; Englishmen Rocky Fielding, Callum Smith and Billy Joe Saunders; Turkey's Avni Yildirim; and Russia's Bivol and Sergey Kovalev.

Canelo Alvarez won't 'fight with Mexicans' out of respect for his country

As Canelo Alvarez prepares for boxing's trilogy match with Gennadiy Golovkin, the Mexican star is focused on regaining his pound-for-pound crown.

www.usatoday.com

 

[Joe Money]

Benavidez Sr Says Canelo Is “Scared” For Saying He’s Not Fighting Mexicans

By Sean Jones: Jose Benavidez Sr says Canelo Alvarez’s decision not to face Mexican fighters is because he’s afraid to have his “legacy” ruined by them.

Benavidez Sr. says Canelo’s recent loss to WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol didn’t hurt his popularity because he’s not a Mexican fighter. So the defeat didn’t impact Canelo in the same way it would have if Bivol were Mexican.

According to Benavidez Sr, Canelo is “scared” of fighting his son David Benavidez. That’s a fighter that has been chasing Canelo for years, trying to get a fight against him with no luck.

Jose Sr. says he’s not worried about Canelo avoiding his son Benavidez because he’s still young at 25, and he’ll either fight for the vacant titles once the belts are given up, or he’ll face the Mexican star when the match is forced on him.

“You got to understand the reason he doesn’t want to fight any Mexicans because he lost to Bivol. He didn’t really lose. Losing to a Mexican, that would take all his legacy away,” said Jose Benavidez Sr to Fighthype about Canelo Alvarez saying he’s not going to fight any Mexicans.

“That’s in his mind; that’s what he thinks. So that’s why he doesn’t want to fight a Mexican fighter because he’s not going to look good against a Mexican. That’s my opinion.

“He will not fight, especially David [Benavidez]. There’s no f*** way he’s going to fight David. He’s f**** scared; that’s what he is. He’s scared,” said Benavidez Sr about Canelo. “That’s the real reality in boxing. He’s scared.

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“That’s why he doesn’t want to fight good fighters, fighters that are dangerous, fighters that are going to bring a good show. He’s only trying to fight guys that he knows he’s going to beat.

“Mexicans come and give it everything. They leave their heart inside the ring, and he doesn’t want to face those fighters.

“We’re not worried. David is only 25 years old,” said Benavidez Sr on Canelo’s decision not to fight Mexicans affecting David Benavidez. “Actually, we’re trying to fight in November or December. We’ve got a lot of things going on.

“We’re not worried. He’s super young. Sooner or later, he’s [Canelo] going to have to vacate those titles, or we’re going to have to fight for them. There’s no other way,” said Benavidez Sr.

Benavidez Sr Says Canelo Is "scared" For Saying He's Not Fighting Mexicans - Boxing News 24

By Sean Jones: Jose Benavidez Sr says Canelo Alvarez's decision not to face Mexican fighters is because he's afraid to have his "legacy" ruined by them.

www.boxingnews24.com

 

[woodchuck]

Riiiight.

 

[Hey Julian!]

I don’t fight other Jamaicans outta respect for getting more kicks than punches thrown at me.

 

[bgbtylvr]

That’s the cold sore talkin

 

[heavyhand]

I don’t fight Jamaicans outta respect for getting more kicks than punches thrown at me.

 

[850credit]

He doesn't want to lose his throne of being the best Mexican fighter currently active to another Mexican. He doesn't mind losing to the White man though.

Definitely don't want to lose to a CHARLO or Andrade

 

[neptunes007]

He doesn't want to lose his throne of being the best Mexican fighter currently active to another Mexican. He doesn't mind losing to the White man though.

Definitely don't want to lose to a CHARLO or Andrade

I'd to see him face Isaac Cruz. Cruz held his own against Gervonta

 

[55th View]

Ali and Tyson said it best. You show your respect for a man as a boxer when you fight him, b/c you're helping him feed his family. Sounds like fear to me.

Canelo neds to fight them messy cans!

 

[EPDC]

Sure....meanwhile, he padded his record fighting a bunch of average Jose's prior to facing Floyd....

 

[God-Of-War-420]

That's a white guy, ain't shit Mexican about em

 

[slewdem100]

What kinda respect is he showing to other Mexicans by not giving them a chance to fight for his titles at 168? Great fighter but he gets away with a lot of shit.