David Benavidez has been given an additional two weeks by the World Boxing Council to choose between keeping his mandatory positions at either 168 or 175 pounds. While Benavidez would prefer to hold both spots, the WBC has made it clear that this is not an option.
If Benavidez opts to retain his mandatory position at 168 pounds in the super middleweight division for a shot at facing unified champion Canelo Alvarez, he will have to relinquish his spot at 175 pounds. By keeping the 175-pound position, he could potentially face the winner of the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol fight for the undisputed light heavyweight title in the future.
Turki Alalshikh’s interest in seeing Benavidez take on the Bivol-Beterbiev winner suggests that securing the title shot may not necessarily depend on being the WBC mandatory challenger. However, Benavidez’s recent performance against Oleksandr Gvozdyk on June 15th raises questions about his readiness to compete against top contenders at 175 pounds.
There are concerns that Benavidez’s punching power may not have the same impact in the higher weight class compared to his dominance at 168 pounds. Additionally, his technical skills are seen as lacking when compared to fighters like Bivol and Beterbiev, potentially putting him at a disadvantage. His reliance on physical attributes, particularly size, was evident in his bout against Gvozdyk.
Benavidez’s limitations in terms of technical proficiency have become apparent, especially against higher-caliber opponents. There are suggestions that he may have been overly dependent on his size advantage as a “weight bully,” and this could pose challenges for him against elite competition without that edge.
