David Benavidez made the move up to light-heavyweight earlier this month after a two-time world title winning stint at super-middleweight.
The elusive fight with Saul ‘Canelo‘ Alvarez continues to escape the WBC’s number one contender, so that sanctioning body set him up with a shot at the Interim title in a second division against Oleksandr Gvozdyk.
Despite fading in the later rounds, Benavidez handled the weight debut well, winning a unanimous decision.
Speaking on Pro Box TV, famed trainer and analyst Teddy Atlas explained what he thinks is the only thing that can stop Benavidez properly succeeding at 175 – champions Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev.
“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.”
Atlas compared the 27-year-old to one of the greatest light-heavyweights of all time, Bob Foster. After dominating the 175 scene, the man from Borger, Texas moved up to the sport’s top division but was knocked out by both Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali.
“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 happen to be up there waiting for him.”
Together Beterbiev and Bivol hold all four major titles and will put them on the line on October 12.
Benavidez has made it clear he will still go in search of his shot at Canelo down at super-middleweight, but also said he wanted to challenge Beterbiev and Bivol at light-heavy.
