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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By Edward Chaykovsky
WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev (30-0, 26KOs) is looking ahead to the biggest test of his pro career, when he faces Olympic gold medal winner Andre Ward (30-0, 15KOs) on November 19th, likely at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Kovalev's biggest win to date was a twelve round unanimous decision over future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins in their 2014 unification. That victory, and the manner in which it was accomplished, put Kovalev on the map for many fans.
Ward dominated the entire super middleweight division for several years. He's looking to continue that dominance, now at 175-pounds.
John David Jackson, who trains Kovalev, views Hopkins as a bigger fight than Ward. Even though the fight with Hopkins was showcased on regular HBO, and the fight with Ward is being carried on HBO Pay-Per-View - Jackson strongly believes the contest with Hopkins was a level above in terms of magnitude.
"I don’t see this as Sergey’s biggest fight because Bernard was bigger, the name and the status, being a Hall of Fame fighter and just the mystique of Bernard Hopkins. I think the Hopkins fight was bigger, it wasn’t a pay-per-view fight but it definitely had a bigger magnitude because of the person that Sergey was fighting," Jackson told On The Ropes Boxing Radio.
"Ward’s prime years have slid by him, with the lawsuit with the Goossen promotion that made him have to sit on the shelf for a few years. This fight here is not as big as the Hopkins fight but for Sergey it can catapult him into a superstar fighter and a pay-per-view fighter. For Ward it’s more of a fight to get back in the limelight as he once was. He’s just trying to get back in the game and Kovalev is trying to put that stamp of approval on it."
