For two years, fans have waited for a showdown between Benavidez and Canelo. As the WBC mandatory challenger for Canelo's super middleweight title, Benavidez hoped to get his shot. But when the fight didn't happen, he moved up to light heavyweight.
At 175 pounds, Benavidez has already made waves. He grabbed the WBC 'Interim' title and put himself in line for a shot at the full WBC world title. On February 1, 2024, he added another belt to his collection.
Benavidez faced David Morrell and won by unanimous decision. The fight wasn't easy – Morrell dropped him in the second-to-last round. But Benavidez pulled through, securing his 30th career win and the WBA 'regular' belt.
After the fight, Benavidez talked to Jim Lampley about potential matchups. In the interview, he said:
"The only thing that the Canelo fight brings to me is money. I know a fight with Canelo Alvarez is way easier than Bivol, because Bivol is the one that beat Canelo Alvarez."
Benavidez doubled down on this view last week. He said he won't drop back to 168 pounds to face Canelo, backing up his claim that money is the only draw for a fight with the Mexican star.
In the light heavyweight division, things are heating up. Artur Beterbiev became the undisputed champion after beating Dmitry Bivol in October 2023. Now, fans are gearing up for their rematch on February 22, 2024, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
As for Canelo, he's got his hands full. He's set to defend his unified super middleweight titles against pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford later this year.
With all these moving parts, it's clear that the boxing world is in for some exciting matchups. Whether Benavidez will get his shot at Canelo or Bivol remains to be seen, but 'The Monster' from Phoenix is certainly making his presence felt in the ring and outside of it.