David Benavidez has, after years of chasing a fight with Saul ‘Canelo‘ Alvarez, decided to focus his attentions on the light-heavyweight division.
The former two-time super-middleweight champion was mandatory challenger for Canelo at 168 but, tired of waiting for his shot, made his debut at 175 this year.
He beat former titlist Oleksandr Gvozdyk over the distance by unanimous decision in June to become the Interim WBC Champion and has since confirmed to the sanctioning body that he intends to enforce that position.
That means a shot at the winner of the undisputed contest between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol on October 12.
Famed trainer and analyst Teddy Atlas believes that both men, or in this case just the winner, will prevent Benavidez from success at light-heavyweight. Speaking on Pro Box TV, Atlas compared the plight to that of Bob Foster – the Texan who, after clearing up at 175, moved up to the heavyweight but was knocked out by both Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali.
“Benavidez did not hurt himself in any way. If anything, he showed that he fits right into the light-heavyweight division. I don’t believe that he’ll have any problem at all acclimating to that weight class.
The problem will be the quality of guys at that weight class. Not that he wouldn’t be able to make the weight, handle the weight or beat guys at that weight.
His problem is the same problem Bob Foster – the great light-heavyweight from years ago – had. If he was around in the right era, maybe he steps up and beats a heavyweight. He was around in an era when he decided to step up to heavyweight where there was some guy named Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali there. It was the wrong time to decide to go up to heavyweight.
That would be the only thing that holds back Benavidez – two of the great fighters [Beterbiev and Bivol] happen to be up there waiting for him.”
Benavidez is slated to return at the end of this year and will likely target the Beterbiev-Bivol winner in the first quarter of 2025.
