David Benavidez Wins Easily

Despite looking very good in his light heavyweight debut, David Benavidez still feels like there’s unfinished business at super middleweight.

“We’re still looking to go down to 168 to fight for the title,” he said. “If we’re going to get Canelo or if they’re going to vacate it, I would like to win it one more time.”

Gvozdyk, a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, weathered the storm well, especially for a 37-year-old who retired from boxing in 2019 before returning to the sport last year. Gvozdyk even mounted a bit of a comeback in the later rounds and opened a small cut over Benavidez’s left eye.

“I think it’s a 7 out of 10, to be honest,” Benavidez said when asked to grade his performance. “Oleksandr is a great fighter. It’s no wonder he’s a former champion, a former Olympian.”

What’s next?

As much as Benavidez wants to fight Canelo, is that fight actually going to happen is the million dollar question. Even though he said he wants to see if one of the titles get vacated, the only fight that makes sense for Benavidez at 168 is a unification fight with Canelo. Getting the winner of the fight between titleholders Artur Beterbiev or Dmitry Bivol at 175 might make the most sense. That fight might just be the most realistic one out there for For Benavidez who weight in at fight night at 189.