David Benavidez has no shortage of HUGE fights on his radar. In an exclusive interview with BoxingScene, Jose Benavidez Sr. makes it clear that David still wants the biggest names at 175lbs including Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev. Benavidez has previously said those are two fights he wants to make as he pursues more titles and major challenges. But there’s another name that could make things very interesting: Andy Ruiz Jr. Jose discusses the possibility of an all-Mexican showdown between Benavidez and the former heavyweight champion, along with David’s plans across multiple divisions. And with a potential Jai Opetaia showdown also building after the pair came face-to-face following Opetaia’s latest victory, Benavidez has some massive options ahead.
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Eddie Hearn, promoter of WBA "regular" light heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly (30-3, 16 KOs), is trying to finalize a deal that would see his boxer face former WBC super middleweight champion Badou Jack (21-1-2, 12 KOs).
Cleverly has been out of the ring since capturing the title with a technical decision win over Juergen Braehmer in October of 2016. A rematch was going to take place, but it never came together for one reason or another.
Jack was last seen in January, when he went to a twelve round draw with IBF super middleweight champion James DeGale at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Afterwards, Jack announced that he was vacating his title and moving up to light heavyweight.
Hearn wants to make the deal happen and wants to make it happen sooner than later, because Cleverly has been inactive for some time and pushing every day to return to the ring.
"It's certainly a fight that Nathan Cleverly and Badou Jack want," Hearn told Sky Sports. "Nathan Cleverly has been plaguing me for that fight for a long time.
"It's been a bit of a frustrating period, because we had the [Juergen] Braehmer rematch and that was pulled, so we've been waiting. We've got to get a move on. He hasn't boxed since October last year. He is prepared to wait, however, for Badou Jack, but it won't be long. We'll have a mandatory put on us again there, so we have to get a date this week I believe for the Badou Jack fight."
Jack is promoted by Floyd Mayweather Jr. There has been some talk of the contest with Cleverly taking on the undercard to Mayweather's proposed boxing match with UFC superstar Conor McGregor.
"I think Floyd would certainly be looking to put that on the undercard of the McGregor fight if that takes place, so I'm guessing they are trying to push that over the line first. But like I said, I'm hoping to agree terms on that fight this week. I believe the next defence for Nathan Cleverly will be Badou Jack," Hearn said.
