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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At this point, you could call 140 a glamor division. Devin Haney, Teofimo Lopez, and Subriel Matias have trinkets draped over their shoulders and impressive resumes to match. For those who will point to Rolando “Rolly” Romero, the division’s WBA champion, as the weak link, he’s still a recognizable face with the sort of power that can turn anyone’s lights out.
When taking a look at the tier below, you’ll find the likes of Ryan Garcia, Regis Prograis, Richardson Hitchins, and Jose Ramirez. Whether those aforementioned fighters have a world title strapped to their waist or not, if you ask them, they’ll openly claim to be the best in the division.
Some call it confidence but for Teofimo Lopez Sr., he calls it delusion. From his point of view, his son is standing with his flag planted at the top of the super lightweight mountain.
“The man at 140 is Teofimo Lopez,” said Lopez Sr. to J Calderon Boxing Talk.
Recently, Haney has strolled around the division like he owns the place. Can you blame him? Just a few weeks ago, the 25-year-old made his 140-pound debut. If he wanted, Haney could’ve fought just about anyone. But, he had a point to prove.
Prograis was always viewed as one of the best that the super lightweight division had to offer but he wasn’t without his flaws. The sloppy footwork and the slow hand speed were all exposed by Haney as he went on to win every second of every round.
Beating Prograis, however, was nothing to brag about according to Lopez Sr. Also, Haney’s victory is weak in comparison to what his son accomplished earlier this year. In his lone appearance of 2023, Lopez became the first man to beat Josh Taylor, the same fighter that defeated Prograis in 2019. That win alone, from Lopez Sr.’s perspective, should leave no doubt concerning who’s the top dog at 140 pounds.
“We beat the lineal champion, we got the lineal belt. We beat Josh Taylor. My son is number one at 140.”
