By: Sean Crose
After performing brilliantly against fellow super middleweight Caleb Plant several weeks ago, David Benavidez has found himself being hailed as a possible conqueror of Canelo Alvarez. Just don’t consider junior welterweight world titlist Regis Prograis among those who feel Benavidez can beat Canelo in the ring – at least not at the moment. “It was an excellent performance,” Prograis said to FightHub regarding Benavidez’ effort against Plant. “I thought it was going to go like that.” Still, Prograis felt a lot of Plant’s loss had to do with Plant himself.
“He just didn’t have the power to keep him off,” Prograis said. “Benavidez is just too big, too strong right now. I think he’s going to be trouble for a lot of people.” He just doesn’t think the hard hitting Benavidez has what it takes to top Canelo at the moment. “I don’t think he’s on that level yet,” he said of Benavidez. “Plant just couldn’t keep him off. He didn’t have the power. Somebody like Canelo has the power to probably keep him off. I don’t think he would beat Canelo right now.”
Still, Prograis indicated that Benavidez was catching up to Canelo’s skill set. “He’s close to being on that level with Canelo,” Prograis said, “but I don’t think right now. Canelo’s to me just a step above.” Yes, Prograis feels that’s still the case now, even with some saying Canelo is slipping thanks to a loss last year to light heavyweight titlist to Dmitry Bivol. “You can’t count Canelo out,” said Prograis. “Canelo’s a beast. I don’t think he’s getting older…he went up to fight Bivol. He went up a whole different weight class to go fight Bivol…they make weight classes for a reason.”
In truth, it’s clear to Prograis that it takes a lot more than some think to beat the red haired star. “You can’t count out Canelo,” he said. “Canelo is one of the greatest that ever did it.”
