In an era where undefeated fighters treat their records with fragility, David Benavidez wants to test himself. Benavidez sits in one of boxing's most enviable positions.
With an undefeated record and championships in multiple weight classes simultaneously, the 29-year-old can be a strong contender for any major world championship in both the light heavyweight and cruiserweight classes.
Currently, Benavidez holds the WBO and WBA (Super) cruiserweight titles. On December 5, Benavidez hopes to take one more step towards an undisputed championship when he faces WBC champion Michal Cieslak. While many predict a resounding victory for the Texan, the bout will not be a stopping point. In a recent interview, Benavidez unveiled his grand career plan.
Benavidez signing 3-fight deal
With divisional flexibility, Benavidez has decided to use it to cement his legacy. During an interview on the Last Stand Podcast with Brian Custer, the cruiserweight champion revealed news that could significantly impact the future of the sport.
"I'm going to sign a three-deal contract after this fight (against Cieslak) ... So, we're talking about Opetaia, we're talking about Beterbiev, and then maybe we're talking about Usyk. Those fights are at cruiserweight, but that might either be at cruiserweight or heavyweight."
In essence, Benavidez just outlined three difficult fights against world champions, and one of them could be an all-time great fighter in Oleksandr Usyk.
In an era where promotional politics hold up megafights, the certainty in Benavidez's voice suggests that he believes in that ambitious fight path, on paper at least, but we'll see what happens following the Cieslak fight.
Right now, all three fighters have unconfirmed schedules. Opetaia has recently been rumored to fight Deontay Wilder on the Fury vs. Joshua undercard. And Beterbiev, by all indications, wants to finish the trilogy with rival Dmitry Bivol. Usyk may be a little further off. In the same interview, Benavidez seemed unsure which weight class a potential fight with Usyk might fall under.
At cruiserweight, Benavidez can swarm opponents with physicality and relentless power. However, facing Usyk at heavyweight would be his toughest challenge for a couple of reasons. First, Usyk has fought much larger fighters and defeated them all. Next, no one knows what Benavidez's chin will look like when he takes a legitimate heavyweight punch.
All roads lead to Opetaia
Of the three proposed fights, Opetaia makes the most sense. He's a fellow cruiserweight with multiple titles as well. Furthermore, the proposed fight has already become of particular interest to the one person in boxing who has the resources to make it happen at just about any time. Turki Alalshikh has expressed interest in making an Opetaia vs. Benavidez fight a reality.
If Benavidez signs his contract and follows through with fights against the names on his wish list, it would significantly enhance his reputation in the sport. If what he says actually happens, the sport could see one of the best three-fight schedules in recent memory.
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