David Benavidez says he’s focused on fighting the top light heavyweight “Monsters,” Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. He states that he’s not interested in moving down to 168 for fights.
Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) recently expressed interest in returning to super middleweight to challenge Terence Crawford for his four belts. It appears that Benavidez has changed his mind. It’s not as if he’s going to be allowed to fight the Omaha, Nebraska, fighter anyway, because he’d be a nightmare for him.
Chasing Beterbiev and Bivol Next
“I’m chasing Beterbiev. I’m chasing Bivol. I’m chasing these other big [names]. I’m chasing Zurdo Ramirez at cruiserweight. I’ve been at 168, but I have no interest in going down,” said David Benavidez to the InsideTheRingShow.
Why Bivol Might Avoid Benavidez
Bivol already gave up his WBC 175-lb title when Benavidez was his mandatory challenger for that belt. So, David might be wasting his time trying to get a fight against him.
Unless Turki Alalshikh offers Bivol an absolute fortune, likely more than the $10 million and $12 million he made for fights #1 and #2 against Beterbiev, it’s predictable that he’ll choose not to face Benavidez. It’s a bad style matchup for the 34-year-old Dmitry, who doesn’t have the punch output and doesn’t deal with nonstop pressure well.
We saw how Bivol ran from Beterbiev in both of their two fights. He lost the first fight and arguably deserved a defeat in the second one as well. The judges gave him the win, but many boxing fans believed Beterbiev was the winner. I scored it for Beterbiev 7-5. Putting Bivol in with a young 28-year-old ‘Mexican Monster’ Benavidez would be a bad idea if you’re the promoter for him.
Will Crawford Fight Benavidez?
It’s pointless for Benavidez to go back down to 168 because the undisputed champion Terence Crawford and his trainer, Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre, have already said more than once that they don’t want to fight him. So, even if ‘The Mexican Monster’ Benavidez did return to super middleweight, he wouldn’t be given a title shot against Crawford.
Why Crawford Might Avoid Benavidez
- High risk of career-ending loss
- Weight concerns
- Mismatch: Benavidez’s youth, power, and high work rate would be kryptonite for Crawford
- Protecting his unbeaten record
What’s interesting about that is that Turki Alalshikh has already dropped hints that he wants Crawford to fight Benavidez next. For him to be talking about that, it means Crawford would likely be paid a fortune if he defended against Benavidez.
For Terence to still refuse signals that he has no confidence in himself, that he can win that fight. How can Crawford not take that fight? It’s baffling, especially given the hype surrounding his claim to the top spot in the all-time great list alongside legends like Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali, and Joe Louis.
“You’re looking at the one who is going to chase all of them. These guys are monsters, but this is a monster’s world,” said Benavidez.