Sean Jones – July 23, 2024 – Comment
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman reportedly received word from David Benavidez's promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz, that the fighter has chosen to remain at 175 pounds and maintain his interim and mandatory status with the WBC.
Frustrated with lack of title opportunities at 168 pounds
Benavidez will vacate his WBC interim 168-pound title, which became meaningless after the World Boxing Council showed no sign of ordering a bout between him and WBC champion Canelo Alvarez.
The unbeaten Benavidez is the mandatory challenger to face the winner of the bout between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol on October 12. The two will face off at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the undisputed 175-pound title.
Benavidez's decision to relinquish his WBC interim and mandatory 168-pound title comes following the news today that unbeaten super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez will next defend his title against Edgar Berlanga in a dual-network televised bout on September 14th at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Berlanga defeated Padraig McCrory on Feb. 24 of this year to become the WBA mandatory contender at 168 pounds, while Benavidez had been waiting for a title fight for two years as Canelo's WBC mandatory contender since his win over David Lemieux on May 21, 2022.
With Terence Crawford's name being mentioned multiple times as a possible opponent for a fight with Canelo in the first quarter of 2025, it was clear that Benavidez had once again been ignored and would continue to be ignored indefinitely.
Financial reward at age 175
Benavidez could make big money fighting the winner of Bivol vs. Beterbiev in 2025. The only uncertainty is whether the two champions will opt for a rematch, which is likely to happen early next year.
The WBC Follow Exclusive Promoter translation: David Benavidez has confirmed that he will continue his career at light heavyweight, becoming the interim WBC 175 champion and the mandatory contender for the winner of Beterbiev vs. Bivol.
— Mauricio Sulaiman (@wbcmoro) July 23, 2024
Last updated: 2024/07/23
