Lately, David Benavidez has been a bit discouraged.
After years of pestering, antagonizing and goading some of the biggest names in 168 pounds to fight him, Benavidez has yet to face one of the elites in the super middleweight division.
While the 25-year-old from Phoenix, Arizona is hopeful that he will eventually face Caleb Plant, Jermall Charlo and David Morrell, he could opt to take his talents to a higher division.
Though he’s in no hurry to make the seven-pound journey north, Benavidez believes he’ll have just as much success, if not more, fighting bigger men.
Currently, Benavidez (26-0, 23 KOs) views the 175-pound division as one of the most treacherous weight classes in boxing. Among a long list of dangerous fighters he currently inhibits, the former two-time super middleweight belt holder sees Artur Beterbiev as the man to beat.
“He’s a tough fighter, he’s the top dog,” Benavidez told a group of reporters recently. “The way he disarmed Joe Smith was unbelievable.”
As Benavidez alludes to, Beterbiev (18-0, 18 KOs) violently ended Joe Smith Jr.’s title reign in his recent trip to the ring. Already in possession of the WBO and WBC titles, Beterbiev saw Smith’s WBO crown as a highlight of his long-term goals.
The two would officially face off at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater on June 18. Unwilling to play safely from the outside, Smith charged head-on, a tactic he would later regret. Three knockdowns and four and a half minutes later, Beterbiev would successfully place Smith’s title on his shoulder, winning by second-round knockout.
Despite the results, the 26-year-old has always shown confidence in both his abilities and his power. Still, even with Benavidez posting six straight stoppage wins, the last against David Lemieux in front of fans in his hometown of Arizona, he doesn’t think jumping into a matchup with Beterbiev is a smart move. Instead, if he had to pack his bags and leave the super middleweight division for good, Benavidez would rather take his time before facing arguably the best fighter at 175 pounds.
“I think I would have to fight a couple of times before I fight him. I don’t want to go up and you know, just take a shot at the title. I have to rank up. I respect boxing, I respect the ranking systems. It would be a great fight and I think we will get there.”
