Benavidez’s Decision Time: WBC Mandatory At 168 Or 175?

David Benavidez has been given a two-week extension by the World Boxing Council to decide which of the two mandatory spots he wants to keep at 168 and 175.

Canelo or Beterbiev/Bivol

Despite Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) preferring to occupy both mandatory spots to get the best possible deal for himself, he won’t be given that luxury by the WBC.

If Benavidez keeps his WBC super middleweight mandatory position to continue his tireless pursuit of undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez, he’ll have to give up his WBC light heavyweight mandatory.

Keeping the WBC 175-lb position will allow Benavidez to eventually get a crack at the winner of the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol fight for the undisputed championship at light heavyweight.

The Turki Factor

Given that His Excellency Turki Alalshikh is interested in Benavidez fighting the Bivol-Beterbiev winner, he doesn’t need to be the WBC mandatory to get that lucrative title shot. He’ll get it anyway because Turki wants him to fight whoever emerges victorious from that clash.

That opportunity is more about a payday for Benavidez because he already showed that he’s not equipped to compete with the best at 175 with his recent performance against Oleksandr Gvozdyk on June 15th.

That effort showed all that needed to be said about Benavidez’s future at light heavyweight. He’s not going to beat either of the champions, Bivol or Beterbiev, at 175, and he’ll likely lose to a half dozen or more contenders in the division.

Benavidez’s power doesn’t carry up from 168 to 175, and he’s not the same fighter without his usual massive size advantage. It’s not just size that will hold Benavidez back at 175. He’s not technically schooled the way Bivol and Beterbiev are.

Weight Bully Exposed

The ‘Mexican Monster’ Benavidez has ignored the technical part of his game all these years at 168 because he’s gotten by being bigger than his opponents and facing mostly marginal opposition.

The only good fighter that Benavidez has fought at super middleweight is Caleb Plant, and he had many problems beating him. Benavidez won 8-4 in rounds against a fighter that Canelo knocked out in ten rounds in 2021. At 175, Benavidez’s lack of technical ability was exposed, as was his poor stamina.

This furthers the narrative that Benavidez has been a weight bully all these years and can’t win without size.