A few years ago, ‘Interim’ WBC Light Heavyweight Champion David Benavidez was tearing through the super-middleweight division. All to accomplish his singular goal – to secure a shot at super middleweight legend Canelo Alvarez. However, ‘The Mexican Monster’ never got that opportunity, despite being the WBC mandatory for ‘Cinnamon.’
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After several pleas, threats, and taunts, the undefeated 168-pounder had to make a tough decision—he climbed to the light heavyweight division. This time, he hoped to land a fight against the undisputed light heavyweight champion, a.k.a. Dmitry Bivol. Notably, Bivol lost to Artur Beterbiev last October and returned to exact revenge earlier this year, becoming the 175-pound undisputed champ.
The expectation was that David Benavidez would get to fight the winner of Beterbiev vs. Bivol’s rematch. But it appears even this opportunity is slipping away from the 28-year-old ‘Interim’ champion. Saudi Boxing Chief Turki Alalshikh, responsible for stitching the first two fights between Beterbiev and Bivol, has revealed he is no longer interested in hosting the Benavidez vs. Bivol fight.
His Excellency Turki Alalshikh comments on future of The Ring light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol. pic.twitter.com/qdBPhiqEi1
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) March 7, 2025
“I am no longer interested in Bivol-Benavidez and I will not bid on it,” Alalshikh told The Ring. “I think Bivol knows who has delivered for him and who hasn’t. My advice to Bivol: don’t be late because every day something changes,” Alalshikh warned. However, Alalshikh is not the only hurdle in making the Benavidez-Bivol fight. If you go back a few months, Bivol had lost to Beterbiev.
The 34-year-old was eager to set up a rematch and reached out to the sanctioning bodies to give Beterbiev a special exception to have a rematch instead of Beterbiev facing his mandatory challenger. This has come back to bite Benavidez in the behind. So, despite WBC ordering Bivol to fight David Benavidez, IBF’s number-one contender, Michael Eifert, is first in line to fight Bivol.
However, even Eifert isn’t likely to have good fortune in the near future!
Eddie Hearn claims Turki Alalshikh wants to make Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol III
Eddie Hearn believes a trilogy between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol is on the horizon, claiming Turki Alalshikh remains eager to make it happen. “I think His Excellency [Turki Alalshikh] will want to do the third fight, a trilogy, which I understand because the first two were incredible,” Hearn said.
Imago
June 27, 2022, New York, NY, New York, NY, United States: NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 27: Eddie Hearn addresses the media at the NYC press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz ahead of the September 17th bout at T-Mobile arena between Saul Canelo Alvarez and Gennady GGG Golovkin on June 27, 2022, in New York, NY, United States. New York, NY United States – ZUMAp175 20220627_zsa_p175_009 Copyright: xMattxDaviesx
“I also think that he’ll want that to try, and remain undisputed, but there will be a lot of pressure from the governing bodies now – like Callum Smith is mandatory with the WBO,” Hearn added. “There’s a German fighter [Michael Eifert] that’s mandatory with the IBF. Benavidez is mandatory with the WBC and could be called.”
“So trying to keep that [the undisputed championship] together,” Hearn admitted scheduling could be tricky but remains confident. So, the bout might not happen till the end of the year.
Despite climbing a weight class, David Benavidez remains destined to wait his turn to get a shot at the undisputed champion. Benavidez should fight other ‘Interim’ champions while the Beterbiev-Bivol trilogy unfolds. Do you agree?