David Benavidez, tired of chasing a fight with Saul ‘Canelo‘ Alvarez, has decided to continue his campaign at light-heavyweight.
The two-time super-middleweight champion fought himself into a mandatory position for Canelo but no fight was called and the champion – formerly undisputed now unified after being stripped of the IBF – has shown little interest.
Benavidez had his first fight at 175lbs against Oleksandr Gvozdyk on June 15, winning a unanimous decision after 12. Whilst he out-landed his opponent considerably and never looked in danger, there wasn’t really any threat that he would end things early.
Asked about the performance in an interview with Fight Hub TV, Canelo – who has long said Benavidez is a true light-heavyweight – said he ‘wasn’t the same.’
“Look, it’s his weight class. 175 is his weight class, and he do nothing at 175, really. He’s not the same.”
Some pundits agreed that Benavidez didn’t look as dominant in the division debut and Gvozdyk did look in better shape after the final bell than many of his opponents at super-middleweights. His team, however, would argue that it was the first step-up and there are improvements to come, not to mention the Ukrainian’s toughness.
There’s little doubt that the 27-year-old will have to look spectacular if he gets his mandated shot at the winner of Dmitry Bivol against Artur Beterbiev, the undisputed clash scheduled for October 12 in Riyadh.
As for Canelo, he faces Edgar Berlanga on September 14 to defend his titles at super-middle as the prospect of a fight with Benavidez fails to move any closer. The Mexican is still adamant he wants at least $150 million to consider it.
