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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Junior welterweight Samantha Worthington has signed a co-promotional contract with Salita Promotions and T-Rex Promotions, the company headed by unified middleweight champion Claressa Shields.
Worthington (8-0, 6 KOs) represents the first fighter signed by T-Rex and Shields.
“Samantha and I go way back to the amateur days,” Shields said. “We fought at the Olympic trials together in 2016. She’s been in the ring with former champions. To sign her as my first athlete to T-Rex Promotions is an honor.”
Worthington, ranked No. 4 by the IBF and No. 6 by the WBO, will make her first appearance under the T-Rex banner on July 27 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on a “Big Time Boxing USA” card headlined by Shields.
“Fighting on the same card as the GWOAT, Claressa Shields, feels like a dream come true,” Worthington said. “Going from fighting alongside one another on Team USA in the amateurs to being on the same card as pros is a special, full-circle moment in my career and one that I know God created me for.”
Before turning professional in 2019, Worthington fought on Team USA alongside Shields where she not only honed her skills in the ring but was also exposed to the highest levels of competition through representing her country on an international stage.
Born in Lexington, Kentucky, and now fighting out of Folsom, California, Worthington finished her impressive amateur career with a 36-14 record, including five national championships, a bronze at the Youth World Championships and a fifth-place finish at the Olympic Trials for the 2016 Olympics.
As a pro, Worthington most recently scored a near-shutout unanimous decision over Yazmin Rivas in front of her home-state fans in Kentucky last January.
“The super lightweight division of women’s boxing is one of the most competitive,” said Dmitriy Salita, “and Samantha will be a great addition to make the division even more diverse and exciting. She will bring a strong U.S. presence and be a new face on the global stage of women’s boxing.”
Worthington will get a chance to make an immediate impression to a wider audience July 27 in support of Shields’ matchup with current heavyweight titleholder Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse on a card that will stream live on DAZN.
