By Alfredo Echenique Lugo
25 Jul 2024, 15:20 PM EDT
David Benavídez has been challenging Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez for the past couple of years to try to take his super middleweight belts. However, he has not had any luck getting that fight to happen.
The “Red Flag”, as he is often nicknamed, has been the interim 168-pound champion for quite some time. So in theory he is Canelo’s natural mandatory challenger. Even so, it seems that his turn to get into the ring with the man from Guadalajara will have to wait.
Meanwhile, Benavídez recently moved up to the light heavyweight category (175 pounds) to face Ukrainian Oleksandr Gvozdyk, whom he ended up defeating by unanimous decision in 12 rounds and proclaiming himself interim champion of the weight class endorsed by the WBC.
Although he has not yet managed to win his world championship against Canelo, Benavídez has a chance to become the absolute champion in the light heavyweight category in a few months.
And being the interim champion of the category immediately makes him the mandatory challenger once the weight championship is unified.
This dispute will be settled at the end of the year between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol when they step into the ring. One of the two will emerge as the undisputed light heavyweight champion and will have to defend this status against David Benavidez in an upcoming fight.
That’s why Benavídez, although he won’t be able to fight Canelo right now, will be able to hold his undisputed champion belt in the light heavyweight category and wait for Álvarez later on.
Benavídez even recently commented after his victory against Oleksandr Gvozdyk at 175 pounds, that he wants to stay at that weight and for now he will not return to 168 pounds.
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