By: Hans Themistode
David Benavidez and Jermall Charlo flat out don’t like each other. The two have spent the past several months throwing verbal haymakers at one another through social media and whenever a microphone is present.
Although Charlo campaigns at a lower weight class, the WBC middleweight titlist expressed a desire to go up in weight to face Benavidez. Yet, once the former two time super middleweight titlist openly took him up on his offer, Charlo seemingly backtracked, claiming that he wouldn’t face anyone under the age of 25 and also stating that if Benavidez wanted to fight him, he would have to squeeze down to the 160-pound limit.
While Benavidez and Charlo appear to be polar opposites with a clear disdain for one another, they do share one thing in common. The pursuit of a showdown against pound-for-pound star Canelo Alvarez. Although Charlo continues to lobby for the fight to take place next against the Mexican star, Benavidez has an idea.
“We both want Canelo,” said Benavidez on his Instagram account with a picture of himself and Charlo. “Let’s earn the shot at him by fighting each other. Winner gets Canelo, how about that?”
If Charlo was to take Benavidez up on his offer, the Houstonian will first have to rest up. Just this past weekend, the former two-division champion defended his WBC crown against Juan Macias Montiel. In what many believed would be a walk in the park, it was anything but that, as it turned into an absolute dog fight. Charlo had his hands full in front of his hometown Houston fans at the Toyota Center. Despite the back and forth war, Charlo would walk away from their contest with hands raised in victory but was visibly beat up.
As for Benavidez, the 24-year-old made it look incredibly easy against Ronald Ellis in his most recent ring appearance, stopping him in the 11th round. Now, the Phoenix, Arizona native will look to send another body to the canvas when he takes on former 168-pound belt holder, Jose Uzcategui. The two are scheduled to get it on August 28th at a yet to be named venue.
