David Benavidez caught the attention of Canelo Alvarez after his victory over Jaime Munguia.
Alvarez retained his undisputed 168-pound world titles with a unanimous decision victory over his fellow Mexican, whom he dropped in the fourth round with a thunderous right uppercut.
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The pre-fight narrative largely revolved around the champion’s rival Benavidez, who has regularly called for both men to touch gloves in recent months.
Benavidez was at ringside to watch his potential opponent rally to victory, but did not enter the ring and meet his challenge face to face.
However, the undefeated star caught Alvarez’s eye and the two exchanged gestures as tensions surfaced.
Canelo gave a wry smile and pointed to the ring as if to signal his opponent to enter the ring.
The potential challenger simply stood with his arms spread as if to suggest he was ready to fight this year.
It’s no surprise that the champ almost pushed Benavidez into the ring, considering he hinted he’d be ready to face his rival on the same night as Munguia.
Of course, it was impossible, but he seemed to have softened his stance during a meeting with the talented star.
Canelo had suggested he would need a $200 million purse to accept the fight, and he reiterated that statement at the post-fight press conference.
He said: “If the money is good. I can fight (Benavidez) now.
“I’m not giving any away. It’s just about the money at this point. Everyone asks for everything.
“When I fought (Erislandy) Lara, Austin Trout, Miguel Angel Cotto, (Floyd) Mayweather, Billy Joe Saunders, GGG, everyone said I didn’t want to fight them, and I fought them all.
“So now I can do whatever I want.”
Although he has been urged by the boxing world to get his act together, that still seems unlikely with Benavidez set to move up to 175 pounds.
“The Monster” next faces Oleksandr Gvozdyk on June 15, but will likely remain open to any challenge to return to his previous weight.
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