David Benavidez wasn't interested in a probing bout in his 175-pound debut.
Benavidez is scheduled to challenge former WBC light heavyweight champion and 2012 Ukrainian Olympic bronze medalist Oleksandr Gvozdyk on June 15.
The bout will be the co-main event of the Gervonta Davis vs. Frank Martin fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be broadcast on Prime Video and PPV.com.
The interim WBC light heavyweight title is on the line, and the winner will be in prime position to face the winner of the Oct. 12 title fight between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
Benavidez (28-0, 24 KOs) was scheduled to compete alone in a PBC main event in June, but then got a call from his agent, Luis Decubas, with the idea of teaming up with “Tank.”
“The Mexican Monster” jumped at the offer to form a dynamic knockout duo with a combined 89 percent knockout rate.
“Having two of the most devastating punchers in boxing fighting on the same card is a huge opportunity for me and a special treat for the fans,” Benavidez told BoxingScene. “I'm very excited for this fight. I get to fight in front of his fans and he gets to fight in front of my fans. It's a win for the whole boxing world.”
Gvozdyk (20-1, 16 KOs) is trained by Alvarez's coach Eddy Reynoso and has sparred with the Mexican star, and Benavidez believes that if he can't face Alvarez, he might as well try and fight someone who's next to the undisputed super middleweight champion.
“Gvozdyk is a tough fighter,” Benavidez said. “I'm 100 percent focused on this fight. Whatever happens, we'll figure it out when the time comes. I'm only thinking about June 15th. We've been training extremely hard and I'm really looking forward to attracting attention and having another big win.”
Benavidez, 27, made breakthroughs in 2023 with wins over Caleb Plant and Demetrius Andrade, while Gvozdyk, 37, returned from a three-year retirement last year to post three wins after a knockout loss to Beterbiev in 2019.
“If I thought about it, he's older, he's not the fighter he was and he's injured, I wouldn't be able to motivate myself 100 percent to be at my best,” Benavidez said.
“I have to train like this guy is going to be the strongest, fastest and most relentless guy I've ever faced. That's what I'm preparing for. Things may change in the fight, but I'm going to go out there and beat him easily in two rounds. I'm preparing for the best outcome possible.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter. He is also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Mixed Martial Arts Journalists Association. He can be reached at @ManoukAkopyan on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube, or by email at manouk.[dot]Acopian[at]You can contact us at gmail.com or www.ManoukAkopyan.com
