Benavidez: Canelo Was the Prize, Crawford Is the Problem

David Benavidez was willing — or must I say dreaming — of facing Canelo Alvarez at 168. The Mexican Monster chasing the Mexican king. Had Canelo beaten Terence Crawford, that fight was inevitable—the payday, the glory, the throne.

Now, he has an even bigger opportunity: to avenge the Canelo loss and restore the pride of Mexican warriors. To carry on the tradition of Sánchez, Chávez, Morales, and Barrera. And let’s be clear — Turki would give him the biggest purse of his career, far bigger than Canelo could have.

Crawford, who first dismissed the idea, will come around. He lives for history, for challenges. And he will not walk away from another mountain. Add a humongous purse, and the fight is there for the taking.

But Benavidez has looked at the board and done the math. He is already a big name with real buzz. If he makes smart moves at 175, the road could clear for him. Artur Beterbiev might retire. Bivol might not take the fight. The obstacles could disappear. He could reign.

Facing Crawford at 168 now would be a huge mistake—a hype-ending move.

How Crawford Beats Benavidez

Benavidez’s danger comes from three things: size, volume, and engine. He doesn’t switch your lights off with one shot — he drowns you with 80 punches a round, relentless pressure, and a gas tank that empties opponents in the second half.

Crawford is built to dismantle that exact style.

• Size neutralized by timing. Benavidez comes forward tall, upright, and open down the middle. Crawford punishes forward momentum. The check hook when he leans in. The straight left to the body. The short uppercut inside. Every advance costs him.
• Volume neutralized by rhythm breaks. Benavidez needs flow to throw. Crawford never lets a fighter flow. He smothers inside, ties up, forces resets, then makes you walk into a trap. The avalanche becomes a drip.
• Engine neutralized by patience. Benavidez wins late because others fade. Crawford is the best closer in boxing. By round 7, Benavidez is slower, less crisp. That’s when Crawford sharpens, increases output, and finishes what he started.

And if you want to see how it plays out, here’s the map:

• Rounds 1–3: Crawford stays patient, circling, probing with the jab. He makes Benavidez throw and miss, then lands sharp counters — a check hook here, a straight left to the body there. Every forward step costs.
• Rounds 4–6: Crawford switches southpaw, starts ripping to the body. Short lefts to the liver, uppercuts when Benavidez leans in. He clinches smartly to smother combinations, breaking the rhythm. The volume slows.
• Rounds 7–9: The Monster begins to fade. Crawford turns up his output, throwing crisp three-punch counters. Benavidez’s shots lose snap. Crawford’s precision makes the size advantage irrelevant.
• Rounds 10–12: Crawford takes over. He walks Benavidez into punishing counters, snaps his head back, and forces him into survival. Whether it’s a late stoppage or a wide decision, the story is the same: the Monster drowned in his own pressure.

Caleb Plant had movement but no power. Demetrius Andrade had power early but no gas late. Crawford has both. He can sting Benavidez enough to slow him down — and last long enough to break him.

The Career Plan Crusher

Crawford ended PBC’s golden goose when he dismantled Errol Spence. The roadmap was clear: multiple fights, a trilogy, years of PPVs. Crawford smashed it in nine rounds. Spence hasn’t fought since.

He ruined Canelo’s $400 million three-fight Riyadh deal. The Mexican king was supposed to cash out, secure his legacy, and ride off into the sunset. Crawford destroyed that plan in one night.

And if Benavidez takes him on at 168, the same thing will happen. The hype will end. The road will close.

Even Bob Arum and Freddie Roach admitted to protecting Pacquiao from him. The insiders knew. Bud isn’t a fight. He’s a problem.

The Excuses Will Come

If Benavidez loses to Crawford, the excuses will pour in. Fans will say he was weight-drained, that he should have stayed at 175. The timing was wrong. They’ll rationalize, they’ll deny, they’ll try to comfort themselves with words.

But none of it will erase the result. The Mexican Monster will have been tamed. The aura will vanish. The truth will stay: Benavidez faced a fighter he could not overwhelm. And once Crawford beats you, you’re never the same again.

The Thrill Is Gone

That’s why Benavidez no longer wants 168. He knows what waits for him there. He knows what happens when Bud shows up.

Canelo was the prize. Crawford is the problem. And if the fight ever happens, Benavidez’s fans will understand the meaning of BB King’s old song. The thrill is gone.