David Benavidez’s grudge match with Caleb Plant wasn’t as attractive to Plant once Benavidez lost his WBC super middleweight title at the scale August 14.
Benavidez became a less appealing opponent for Canelo Alvarez as well when he was stripped of that title for a second time. Well aware that Plant and Alvarez are much more likely to face each other than him if they win their upcoming respective bouts with Caleb Truax and Avni Yildirim, Benavidez is focused on securing a showdown with Jermall Charlo.
Houston’s Charlo (31-0, 22 KOs) hasn’t announced that he will move up from middleweight to super middleweight, but Benavidez believes that the WBC 160-pound champion will do that later this year.
“Right now, I’m hearing Charlo’s gonna come up to 168,” Benavidez told BoxingScene.com. “Charlo’s been saying some stuff about me, so I’m open to fight whoever. If I can’t get Caleb Plant, if I can’t get Canelo Alvarez, you know, the next best thing is Charlo. If that can happen, we’re extremely open to making that happen.”
Charlo could consider his options limited at the 160-pound limit because their promotional and network/streaming affiliations make fights against fellow champions Gennadiy Golovkin (41-1-1, 36 KOs) and Demetrius Andrade (29-0, 18 KOs) tough to put together.
Phoenix’s Benavidez (23-0, 20 KOs) is scheduled to battle Ronald Ellis (18-1-2, 12 KOs, 1 NC), of Lynn, Massachusetts, on March 13 in a Showtime Championship Boxing main event at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
The 30-year-old Charlo is expected to return to the ring either late this spring or early this summer. Charlo’s next opponent hasn’t been chosen, but Benavidez gladly would challenge Charlo after facing Ellis.
“Charlo, that’s the next best thing after Caleb Plant and Canelo Alvarez,” Benavidez said. “I feel like me and Charlo would be a more exciting fight than me and Caleb Plant, to be honest with you. Both of us are undefeated and both of us got power. We both know that each man could hurt each other at any given time. And these are the type of fights that I want to have under my belt, on my record, for my legacy. I wanna become the best in my division, be the best of my decade by the time my time is done.
“So, the only way I can do that is fighting these types of fighters. So, I’m extremely open to that fight. You know, I hope it happens. But first I’ve gotta take care of my job, my fight March 13th. And then, hopefully, we’ll get a big fight. I feel like my fans have been waiting for me to fight these bigger fighters in these great fights. So, I wanna please my fans and give them the best fights possible.”
–boxingscene.com
