Promoter Sampson Lewkowicz said in an interview today that David Benavidez will fight on May 3rd, 2025, against the winner of the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol fight on Cinco de Mayo.
Cinco de Mayo: A Coveted Date in Boxing
Lewkowicz told Bernardo Pilatti of ESPN that WBC interim 175-lb champion Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) will be fighting on the May 3rd date against whoever emerges as the winner of the Beterbiev-Bivol undisputed light heavyweight championship on October 12th.
We’ll see if Lewkowicz’s plans work out for him and his fighter, Benavidez. Many things need to happen for them to get the May 3rd date next year.
It’s unknown whether Bivol and Beterbiev will fight an immediate rematch. If so, Benavidez must forget about fighting on May 3rd because Canelo will be fighting on that date. It’s believed that His Excellency Turki Alalshikh will ensure that Benavidez gets the winner of the Bivol-Beterbiev fight rather than having to wait until they fight a rematch.
Benavidez has chosen to move up to 175 to take the sure-thing title shot after striking out in his attempts to challenge Canelo for his undisputed super middleweight championship.
The popular ‘Mexican Monster’ Benavidez recently asked the WBC for an extension to decide whether to keep his mandatory spot at 168 or 175. Yesterday’s revelation that Canelo will be fighting Edgar Berlanga next September 14th confirmed that Benavidez would have no chance of getting the title shot ever.
Canelo is near the end of his career anyway, and he could be done in two or three fights. He’s expected to fight Terence Crawford in early 2025 and possibly a rematch if their fight is hugely successful.
Benavidez needs to get better acclimatized to the light heavyweight division to have a chance of beating the winner of the Beterbiev vs. Bivol fight. He didn’t look good at all in his twelve-round unanimous decision win over Oleksandr Gvozdyk on June 15th.
If Benavidez takes that date away from Canelo, the superstar will be angered because he feels Cinco de Mayo is his for the keeping.
Last Updated on 07/24/2024
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