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 for heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte, is planning to apply a lot of pressure to ensure his boxer receives a mandatory crack at the WBC world title.
Pursuant to a WBC order from last year, Whyte is due a mandatory shot by February 2021.
The current champion is Tyson Fury, who is scheduled to face Deontay Wilder in a trilogy fight on December 19th.
Whyte has his own business to take care of, when he faces former world champion Alexander Povetkin on August 22nd at Fight Camp in Brentwood.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman is planning to issue an order, which directs the Fury-Wilder winner to make an immediate defense against Whyte.
Should the Fury-Wilder trilogy get postponed until next year, Hearn will not allow Whyte to wait any longer. According to Hearn, Fury will then have to fight Whyte or vacate his title.
In the last few months, Fury has expressed very little interest in facing Whyte. He would rather take part in a full division unification with WBO, IBF, WBA, IBO world champion Anthony Joshua.
"Well I'm hearing what we hoped the WBC would enforce, which is the promise that [mandatory] fight has to happen," Hearn told Sky Sports.
"The official date is before the end of February 2021. Obviously if Wilder-Fury takes place in December, maybe that gets pushed back a little bit. Great news for Dillian Whyte who has been pushing so hard, fully deserves this shot more than any fighter in boxing, forget the heavyweight division, but he does have business to attend to on August 22 against Alexander Povetkin.
"That makes that fight even more dangerous, but as far as we're concerned Fury-Wilder must happen this year, and if it doesn't we're ready to go with Whyte against Fury, subject to him beating Povetkin in a couple of weeks' time."
