Canelo Álvarez attacks Benavídez saying that he is not Mexican
"He is not Mexican. He is Mexican-American, he is different," said Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez bluntly when asked about the boxer with Aztec roots.
The debate around national identity in professional boxing added a new chapter after the recent statements of the Guadalajara champion. During a conversation with journalist Ariel Helwani, Saúl Canelo Álvarez ruled out that David Benavídez could be considered the next great boxing figure in Mexico, arguing that his colleague's native roots differ from those of those born within the national territory.
The controversy arose when the information source questioned the Jalisco athlete about which fighter will assume leadership of the Aztec market in the coming years, mentioning the name of the current cruiserweight champion.
Subscribe to DAZN here and don't miss the best of BOXING
When asked about the challenger of Mexican-American origin, Canelo Álvarez responded forcefully by pointing out: "He is not Mexican. He is Mexican-American, he is different," marking a distinction between boxers born on national soil and those developed in the United States with Hispanic ancestry.
Claressa Shields in defense of the roots
The statements made in Ariel Helwani's space caused immediate repercussions among various leaders of the discipline at an international level.
The American boxer Claressa Shields used her official social media profiles to express her disagreement with the words of Canelo Álvarez, publicly supporting the family ancestry of the Arizona fighter in the face of questions about his sporting nationality.
In her digital publication, the multi-time world champion was direct in supporting the origin of the Mexican-American fighter, whose father was born in national territory. "Benavídez is one hundred percent real Mexican. I don't care about that American label that they put in front of him. He is as Mexican as Canelo Álvarez," the athlete wrote on her broadcast platforms to defend the boxer's cultural roots.
This news has been tken from authentic news syndicates and agencies and only the wordings has been changed keeping the menaing intact. We have not done personal research yet and do not guarantee the complete genuinity and request you to verify from other sources too.