Mayweather Targets Canelo: “Ducking Benavidez;” Do not discuss the use of prohibited substances

By: Sean Crose

“He’s taking down Benavidez.”

So Floyd Mayweather talked about Canelo Alvarez during Thursday’s press conference to promote Tank Davis’ Sunday pay-per-view battle with Isaac Cruz. Mayweather, who dominated the sport of boxing for many years, remains the only man to ever defeat Alvarez in the ring. Needless to say, the former great known as “Money” was unimpressed with Canelo’s plan to gain weight to face WBC heavyweight champion Ilunga Makabu. “Do I like this fight?” Mayweather asked rhetorically. “Absolutely not.” As far as Mayweather is concerned, Canelo is not facing a real challenger, as he feels David Benavidez.

“He was at the Mayweather boxing gym,” Mayweather said of Makabu, “and the guys really appreciated him.” Truth be told, Mayweather hasn’t shown any surprise at Canelo’s skill over the years. While the most serious fans and analysts would probably argue that Canelo has grown by leaps and bounds since he fought Mayweather in 2013, Mayweather himself asserts that Canelo is “a boxer like you.” just like him when they fought over 7 years ago. “When I fought him, he was at his peak,” Mayweather declared. “When I fought him, I was almost forty years old.”

Mayweather thinks it’s unfair that some fighters are belittled or criticized while others – especially Canelo – receive good press. “What we are not talking about,” he told the media on Thursday, “is Canelo, Canelo Canelo… steroids, steroids, steroids. You don’t talk about that”. Canelo tested positive for a banned substance a few years ago, which he admitted was caused by eating beef. However, Canelo received a suspended sentence. Mayweather said: “He may not have been clean in a lot of fights. When asked if he felt Canelo was dirty during their bout, Mayweather answered realistically. “I don’t know,” he said.

Although Mayweather claims he doesn’t feel hostile towards his former rival (“It’s not beef. I like Canelo. I like his work.”), he clearly feels the red-haired star is overly inflated. “He’s one of the top guys out there,” Mayweather said, “but he’s not the only one.” Mayweather then went on to add “that kid was a cake walk” as they fought.

On the subject of complacency in his ring career, Mayweather gets straight to the point. “You have to believe in yourself,” he said. “If you don’t believe in yourself, then what the hell will believe in you.”