Ring Magazine’s pound-for-pound list no longer includes undefeated former two-time WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez in the top 10.
It’s surprising not to see “Mexican Monster” Benavidez on the pound-for-pound list following his successful year. With his crowd-pleasing fighting style, if he continues his winning streak and faces tougher opponents in the future, he could likely make his way onto the list next year.
Benavidez (28-0, 24 KOs) is seen as the next in line to the title previously held by undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez, so it’s perplexing that he is not included on the list. Meanwhile, Canelo holds the No. 4 spot on the list, but Benavidez is not mentioned.
In 2023, Benavidez, 26, had an impressive year by defeating former two-weight champion Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade and former IBF 168-pound champion Caleb “Sweet Hands” Plant.
One would expect that these victories would have garnered recognition for “The Mexican Monster” from the Ring Magazine staff, who are responsible for selecting their pound-for-pound rankings. However, that seems not to be the case.
Possible reasons why Ring Magazine omitted Benavidez:
- Lack of prominent opponents: While Plant and Andrade are solid fighters, they were not considered significant threats to Benavidez. Instead of facing them, Benavidez could have taken on a challenge from WBA “regular” super middleweight champion David Morel or the talented Dmitry Bivol.
- Insufficient experience: Despite being a two-time super middleweight champion, Benavidez’s victories were against opponents of lower standing.
- Past issues: In the past, Benavidez had a positive drug test result and faced weight loss, both resulting in him losing the WBC title.
Benavidez has an opportunity to make a strong impact in 2024 when he faces the likes of David Morel, Diego Pacheco, and Jermall Charlo.
Ring Magazine Pound for Pound List
1. Terrence Crawford
2. Naoya Inoue
3. Oleksandr Usyk
4. Canelo Alvarez
5. Dmitry Bivol
6. Devin Haney
7. Errol Spence
8. Gervonta Davis
9. Teofimo Lopez
10. Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez
