David Morrell Jr. respects what Canelo Alvarez has accomplished and meant to the sport of boxing.

At the age of 33, however, the unbeaten Cuban southpaw doesn’t think that the undisputed super middleweight champion will fight David Benavidez. Morrell definitely doesn’t get the sense Alvarez would fight him, either, but Alvarez-Benavidez is perhaps the showdown boxing fans most want to see in 2024.

Alvarez is expected to return to the ring May 4. Benavidez continued to call out the Mexican icon after Benavidez beat Demetrius Andrade by technical knockout November 25 in Las Vegas, but Morrell doesn’t think it’ll do much good.

Morrell (9-0, 8 KOs), who will defend the WBA’s world super middleweight title versus Sena Agbeko (28-2, 22 KOs) on Saturday night, can’t envision Alvarez ever stepping into the ring with Benavidez.

“Why would he wanna put his belts on the line and put his run in the division in peril?,” Morrell told BoxingScene.com. “F--- that! I think he wants to finish his career as what he is right now, someone who is undisputed in more than one weight. So, you know, I don’t think that Canelo is willing to take those risks against someone like Benavidez.”

If Alvarez-Benavidez were to materialize, Morrell believes Alvarez would be able to beat Benavidez, despite that Benavidez is younger, taller and a more natural super middleweight.

“For me, I think like the fight with Canelo and Benavidez is 50-50,” Morrell said. “It’s not 60-40. For me, it’s 50-50, a hundred percent. You know, Benavidez could win, but Canelo could win, too. So, for me, it’s 50-50.”

Speculation persists that Alvarez could fight countryman Jaime Munguia on May 4 if Tijuana’s Munguia (42-0, 33 KOs) beats British southpaw John Ryder (32-6, 18 KOs) on January 27 at Footprint Center in Phoenix. Alvarez’s return to the ring May 4 will mark the second fight of his three-bout agreement with Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions.

Benavidez and Morrell are also affiliated with PBC, but Morrell is much more focused on eventually battling Benavidez.

“I wanna fight him, a hundred percent,” Morrell said. “I don’t want anybody else at 168, only Benavidez. If Benavidez goes up to 175, I’ll go up to 175, fight him and come back down to 168.”

Morrell understands, though, why Benavidez is much more determined to challenge Alvarez for his IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO 168-pound championships.

[For Benavidez] to fight me, it’s good money, too,” Morrell said, “but it’s not the same as to fight Canelo.”

Meanwhile, Morrell doesn’t expect Alvarez to ever consider him as a potential opponent.

“Canelo is 33 years old, next year 34,” Morrell said. “He didn’t have a good experience with Cuban [fighters]. You remember [Erislandy] Lara, so when he fought Lara he was younger. Now he’s older, so it’s different. Time doesn’t forgive – bottom line.”

Alvarez recorded a controversial 12-round split-decision victory over Lara in July 2014 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The 25-year-old Morrell is trying to remain patient while defending his secondary crown against lower-profile fighters. His 12-round bout against Ghana’s Agbeko will be the main event of a four-fight “Showtime Championship Boxing” broadcast from The Armory in Minneapolis (9 p.m. ET), Showtime’s last live boxing telecast of the premium cable network’s 37-year run in the sport.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.