LAS VEGAS – Three divisions separated by 25lbs are all in play for David Benavidez, as the light heavyweight titleholder makes the bold step up to fight unified WBA/WBO cruiserweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez in a Cinco de Mayo takeover effort.
But would moving up into yet another weight class follow after that?
BoxingScene asked Phoenix’s Benavidez, 31-0 (25 KOs), if his ideal outcome is to knock out Ramirez, 48-1 (30 KOs), at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and to then make a run at becoming a heavyweight champion with staying power.
He said no.
“You guys keep trying to push me to heavyweight, but I have work I still want to do at light heavyweight,” Benavidez said, pointing to a fantasy for his next three fights. He wants to face current unified 175lbs champion Dmitry Bivol and then former light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev and former super middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
“My goal is to be one of the best reigning champions at light heavyweight ever, so I still want to be able to go up and down,” he said.
Benavidez said a shift to heavyweight may be as many as five years away.
At 29 years old, Benavidez says he weighs 205lbs now with nearly 10 weeks remaining before the Prime Video pay-per-view showdown with Mexico’s Ramirez, whom he formerly sparred with over a three-year period.
Jose Benavidez Snr, the fighter’s father and trainer, said there’s rich familiarity with Ramirez after an estimated 100 sparring sessions between eight and 10 rounds each – some that were pay-per-view-worthy – over a three-days-a-week schedule last decade.
“Don’t let [southpaw Ramirez] trick you. People say he’s slow, but he’s accurate,” Benavidez Snr said. “He’s very hittable, but we’ve got to find him. He’s not heavy-handed, so we can take some risks. The key is punches, punches, punches.”
That’s what has made Benavidez such a draw. The two-division titleholder was put on indefinite pause at 168lbs by a reluctant Canelo, so Benavidez then moved to light heavyweight to create “my own lane,” and defeated Oleksandr Gvozdyk, David Morrell and Anthony Yarde.
In an ever-increasing split of political factions in boxing, it seems Benavidez is the best at rising above the hostilities because of his willingness to fight anyone.
His victory over Queensberry Promotions’ Yarde in November came on a Saudi Arabia-Turki Alalshikh card. He’s now meeting a fighter promoted by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, with De La Hoya often blasting Alvarez for ducking Benavidez. And Benavidez is promoted by Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions.
“Fighting like he does, staying busy, doing things the right way – the politics don’t bother us,” Benavidez Snr said. “We’re putting everything on the table here to give the fans a great fight, and he’s not afraid to do it. With David coming forward, throwing a lot of punches, it’s going to be a very entertaining fight and it puts us in position to take that [Cinco de Mayo] date away for good – as long as we make it bloody with fireworks.”
Benavidez inherits the date from an impressive cast – including Julio Cesar Chavez Snr, Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Jnr and Canelo.
“That date doesn’t belong to one fighter,” Benavidez said. “It’s for the [boxers] who give the best fights. I want them to never forget the date – and the event – to make it long-lasting.”
Benavidez described the move from 175lbs to cruiserweight’s 200lbs limit as “a big change,” insisting his knowledge about how he’ll perform will be better known as he enters the heart of his training camp.
“It’s nice knowing that I don’t need to focus on losing weight,” he said. “I’m expecting the best version of myself.”
So many names are out there for Benavidez if he wins. IBF and lineal cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia is an attractive possible future foe who makes his debut for the new Zuffa Boxing promotion on March 8. WBC cruiserweight titleholder Noel Mikaelyan is also on the radar.
Unified and lineal heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk formerly fought at cruiserweight.
“You guys are giving me a lot of names,” Benavidez said. “No one deserves more respect than Usyk. He’s an all-time great. The question is not if I can compete at heavyweight. The question is, ‘Do I want to?’”
While Andy Ruiz Jnr became the first Mexican to become heavyweight champion, his reign ended after his one upset of Anthony Joshua.
So many options, but Benavidez can only fight one of them at a time.
As promoter wars, political agendas and past grudges play out, Benavidez said he’s here, intent to keep doing his thing as the next big fight emerges.
“If Canelo is still involved in boxing, he’s always going to be in the picture, but the fight would have to be at 175,” Benavidez said. “I’m making my own lane, though, and it feels good.”
