LAS VEGAS — David Benavidez’s return to the ring is being lined up for the end of the year, promoter Sampson Lewkowicz told World Boxing News recently.
“He will fight in December,” Lewkowicz said.
The former two-time super middleweight world champion last fought in June against Oleksandr Gvozdyk as he tested the waters at light heavyweight.
He has long lobbied for a super-fight against Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez as he’s emerged as the clear No.1 challenger to the unified champion, having bludgeoned Caleb Plant and Demetrius Andrade in back-to-back bouts last year.
Though Benavidez defeated Gvozdyk to become the interim WBC champion at 175 pounds, his performance raised eyebrows as it did not match the wanton ferocity that fans were accustomed to seeing at 168.
Benavidez told World Boxing News and other reporters at the time that he fought through a variety of injuries. “I reinjured my hand in the third round,” he said. “I tore my right ligament four weeks before the fight, and I hurt my left hand in camp.”
Lewkowicz reiterated this point last week when WBN caught up with the veteran promoter in Las Vegas as he represented Gabriel Fundora at a Golden Boy Promotions event inside the Michelob Ultra Arena.
“He fought with broken ribs,” said Lewkowicz. “This guy deserves all my respect, he fought with a cut on the eye and, on top of that, he injured both hands — and it hurt.”
Despite the injuries, Benavidez still scored a lopsided win per the judges, with scores of 119-109, 117-111, and 116-112.
As he was an interim WBC champion in two weight classes, the sanctioning body pressed Benavidez to pick which weight class he wished to compete in. After Canelo — the opponent he had pursued — confirmed he’d fight Edgar Berlanga on September 14, Benavidez picked light heavyweight.
“Now,” Lewkowicz told World Boxing News, “he will fight in December if he feels good” and has recovered from all the injuries, he said.
“If not, he will return next year.”
Benavidez told World Boxing News prior to his Gvozdyk fight that boxing financier Turki Alalshikh had been in contact with him.
Light heavyweight rulers Dmitri Bivol and Artur Beterbiev will unify the 175-pound championships in one of the most significant fights boxing can make on October 12 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Alalshikh envisages Benavidez battling with the winner of that fight.
This means Benavidez has at least one light heavyweight fight he can take, possibly two, before taking on the Bivol vs Beterbiev winner before the end of 2025.
Lewkowicz told us he already has the right opponent in mind, “but we need to wait” to confirm “to see about [Benavidez’s] hands.”
One of Benavidez’s rivals, David Morrell, who is a stablemate of his at Premier Boxing Champions, recently fought at Alalshikh’s debut Riyadh Season card in the US.
In the biggest test of his pro career to date, Morrell beat ‘Hot Rod’ Radivoje Kalajdzic by a 12-round unanimous decision on August 3 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
World Boxing News visited one of Morrell’s cornerman Bob Santos in Las Vegas the following week for insight on Morrell’s debut performance at 175, and whether a Benavidez vs Morrell fight could end up happening at light heavyweight.
“There’s a fight that’s going to happen,” Santos told WBN. “There’s no two ways about it.”
We then ran the match-up past Benavidez’s representative, Lewkowicz.
“Let me put it this way,” Lewkowicz told us, “Morrell and Benavidez will [one day] fight.”
He continued: “It will be the best payday of each one of his life, approximately. So, I, a promoter, make money but also want the best for the boxers.
“I like to bring the best paydays for my fighters and also the challengers. We’re talking about the best fighters in boxing.”
Alan Dawson is World Boxing News Lead Writer, a 2 x Sports Journalist of the Year finalist, and 5 x BWAA awards winner. Follow Alan @AlanDawsonSport.
