Sampson Lewkowicz has no doubt in his mind that Canelo Alvarez would welcome a fight against his charge David Benavidez. The problem, as Lewkowicz sees it, is that Alvarez’s manager does not feel the same way.
Lewkowicz, the promoter of 25-year-old super middleweight Benavidez, expressed pessimism in an interview with BoxingScene.com about the chances of Benavidez ever facing arguably the sport’s top fighter in Alvarez, the undisputed champion at 168 pounds. Lewkowicz recently stated in an interview with Tha Boxing Voice that Alvarez’s team had rejected an offer – “much more” than $50 million – to fight Benavidez in the fall.
Lewkowicz clarified that while he does not think Alvarez is “afraid” of fighting Benavidez, he believes wholeheartedly that Alvarez’s trainer and manager, Eddy Reynoso, has scant interest in that matchup and is looking instead to “protect” the crown jewel of his stable.
“I [usually] never talk about Canelo because I have no shot [at making the fight],” Lewkowicz told BoxingScene.com. “He will not fight Benavidez.
“But now is the time to talk about it. Listen, no fighter is afraid of anyone; I give all the respect to fighters. The difference is [that] the management protects the fighter and he [Alvarez] is well protected by Eddy Reynoso.
Lewkowicz relayed these comments prior to a report Thursday stating that Alvarez, a network free agent, had in fact rejected a package deal from Premier Boxing Champions, the outfit under which Benavidez has operated for the majority of his career. The deal, according to Mike Coppinger of ESPN, consisted of two fights, worth “upward of $100 million” to face middleweight titlist Jermall Charlo in May and Benavidez in September. Coppinger noted that Alvarez rejected the deal “10 day[s] ago” and has not maintained communications with the PBC since then. Alvarez was previously reported to be closer to accepting a two-fight deal from Eddie Hearn of Matchroom boxing to fight light heavyweight titleholder Dmitry Bivol in the spring and a trilogy match with Gennadiy Golovkin at the end of the year, with both fights to take place on DAZN, the streaming platform with which Hearn has an exclusive output deal.
Lewkowicz assertions can be seen as an implicit response to remarks Reynoso made a couple of months ago in which he suggested that Benavidez (25-0, 22 KOs), a former two-time titleholder at 168, did not have a résumé worthy of fighting the 31-year-old Alvarez (57-1-2, 39 KOs). Benavidez owned the WBC 168-pound on two separate occasions but lost them both due to out-of-the-ring circumstances.
Lewkowicz does not think Alvarez shares his manager’s opinion.
“If you talk directly to Canelo, he will fight Benavidez,” Lewkowicz continued. “I know it. I saw him fighting one of my fighters [in sparring], by the way. Canelo knocked him out on a swollen ankle. [It was swollen] so much that he had to cut his shoe after the fight.
“Canelo has the heart and the big pelotas, big Mexican pelotas. Nobody can take that away from him. He’s a superstar. But the reality is that the management doesn’t want the fight.”
Lewkowicz made it clear that Alvarez is not the one trying to avoid Benavidez but insisted that the only way the fight between the two can happen is if Alvarez himself pushes for the fight personally, at the possible objection of his inner circle.
“I hate when people say that the top fighters are afraid of anyone,” Lewkowicz said. “That’s insulting to me. These boxers aren’t afraid of anyone.
“Put it on the record: Canelo, yes (wants to fight Benavidez). Eddie Reynoso, no (doesn’t want the fight). It’s up to Canelo to be stronger than his management and promoter. He need to make the final decision.”