David Benavidez Apologizes For Being ‘Drunk’ On DAZN

David Benavidez issued an apology on Instagram for appearing to be inebriated during an interview on Saturday night with DAZN’s Chris Mannix during stablemate Diego Pacheco’s bout in Las Vegas.

“I just want to take this time to apologize to all my fans and to the people that seen me last night drunk,” read a screenshot written on Benavidez’s Instagram account. “I had one too many drinks and made a complete fool of myself smh (shake my head). This will never happen again.”

Showing accountability was an important move for the unbeaten Benavidez (28-0, 24 KOs).

As he seeks a bout with four-division champion and undisputed super-middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, he can’t afford to give Alvarez any cause to suggest that Benavidez is an unreliable opponent.

In 2020 Benavidez lost his WBC 168lbs belt on the scales when he weighed in at 170.8lbs for a title bout against Roamer Alexis Angulo, later stopping Angulo on his stool after 10 rounds.

In 2018, following a victory over Ronald Gavril, he tested positive for cocaine in an out-of-competition test by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, leading the WBC to strip him of the 168lbs belt.

Alvarez has baulked at fighting Benavidez, instead pursuing a May 4 date against former light middleweight champion Jaime Munguia of Mexico at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Alvarez’s bouts have become valuable staples of the annual boxing schedule, and the principled champion from Mexico has leaned on his self-discipline to become the face of boxing during his era.

For now, Benavidez, 27, is near the formal launching of a training camp toward his June bout against former light-heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk, a date that will either move him closer to a possible showdown with the winner of the June 1 undisputed light-heavyweight title fight between champions Artur Beterbiev and Dmitrii Bivol, or a showdown with Alvarez. Unless, that is, Alvarez finds another reason to bypass Benavidez.