David Benavidez has asked the World Boxing Council for two more weeks to make an official decision on fighting Canelo Alvarez.
‘The Mexican Monster’ had accepted an offer to campaign at light-heavyweight and contest the interim title against Oleksandr Gvozdyk earlier this month. In a tough battle with the Ukrainian puncher, Benavidez came out on top. However, he has been considering moving back to 168 in the aftermath.
Due to his position as the number one contender to Canelo, Benavidez got offered the chance to move up and be immediately placed for a shot at the winner of Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol. But equally, Benavidez can still hold on to his super middleweight stipulation.
As he contemplated his next move, the WBC granted Benavidez more time to decide.
“The WBC Board of Governors has approved the extension of two weeks requested by David Benavidez about his decision to confirm in which weight category he will decide to continue his boxing career. David Benavidez currently holds both the interim Super Middleweight and interim Light Heavyweight championships,” said a WBC confirmation.
Canelo has shown no interest in battling the man dubbed the most formidable challenge for him so far. The former pound-for-pound king is instead reportedly eyeing a fight against Edgar Berlanga in September.
Due to the UFC’s move to stage a confirmed ‘Noche’ event on September 14, Canelo vs Berlanga would move to Saudi Arabia as part of a Riyadh Season card. Riyadh Season kicks off in October, possibly delaying the undisputed champion’s return.
However, nothing is set in stone for Canelo yet, and there’s no doubt that Benavidez would be the fans’ number-one choice. Whether Turki Alalshikh can persuade Al Haymon and Canelo to face Benavidez under its jurisdiction remains to be seen.
There’s also a Terence Crawford fight further down the line for Canelo, which is also likely to be at an Alalshikh-led event.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
