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.
An already lengthy layoff is about to grow a few weeks longer for Shabaz Masoud.
BoxingScene.com has learned that the unbeaten British junior featherweight prospect has fallen ill and is no longer able to proceed with his scheduled bout versus Colombia’s Jose Sanmartin. The two were due to meet Saturday on the Jack Catterall-Jorge Linares undercard and both made weight for their DAZN-aired bout from M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool.
However, Masoud became sick sometime after Friday’s official weigh-in ceremony. Matchroom Boxing representatives—none of whom immediately responded to inquiries seeking comment—were informed of the development and forced to deliver the bad news to Sanmartin, who is now stuck in the UK without a fight to show for it.
Boxing Scene has additionally learned that efforts are being made to reschedule the bout in November. Matchroom has a NXTGEN show scheduled for November 11 in Newcastle, England. Should the date hold up, it will leave Masoud (11-0, 4KOs) out of the ring for exactly one year. His last fight came in a 12th round stoppage of countryman Jack Bateson last November 11 in Sheffield, England.
Barranquilla’s Sanmartin (34-7, 21KOs) was due to make his UK debut on Saturday. The 31-year-old has lost two of his last three starts, including a ten-round decision to unbeaten junior featherweight contender Kevin Gonzalez on March 25 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The rest of the show is expected to proceed as scheduled.
Chorley’s Catterall (27-1, 13KOs) will fight for the second time since a highly questionable, split decision defeat to then-unbeaten and undisputed junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor last February 26 in Glasgow, Scotland. Efforts to land a rematch saw at least four separate postponements before the bout was canceled outright. Catterall returned to the ring and the win column with a ten-round decision over Darragh Foley on May 27 in Manchester.
Linares (47-8, 29KOs) carries a rep as a UK-killer, as he is a perfect 4-0 versus British boxers—all in title fights and three of which took place in jolly old England. However, the 38-year-old former three-division titlist has long seen better days and has lost his last three starts.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
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