By Norm Frauenheim
David Benavidez, unbeaten in the ring, can’t win one outside of it.
The super-middleweight’s string of trouble continued Wednesday with his withdrawal from an August 28 homecoming in Phoenix against Jose Uzcategui because of a positive test for COVID, according to multiple Phoenix sources who confirmed a story first reported by Boxing Scene.
Benavidez (24-0, 21 KOs) was supposed to fight Uzcategui (31-4,26 KOs), of Venezuela, in a 12-round eliminator for a mandatory shot at the World Boxing Council’s version of the 168-pound title, currently held by Canelo Alvarez. Benavidez, 24, is already the WBC’s No. 1 contender for a title he has held and lost twice.
He was stripped of the belt for a positive cocaine test in September 2019. He regained it, then lost it on the scale, failing to make weight for a title defense in August 2020.
As of Wednesday, it wasn’t clear whether the bout at the newly-named Footprint Center, the Phoenix Suns home arena, would be canceled or postponed. A postponement looked likely. Tickets have been for sale since the Showtime-televised card was announced in mid-July.
A request for formal approval of the card was on the agenda Wednesday at a meeting of the Arizona State Boxing & MMA Commission.
On the undercard, there’s a scheduled comeback by Benavidez brother Jose, who won his first title – a World Boxing Association interim welterweight belt – in May 2015, also at the Suns Arena.
Jose Benavidez, set to come back against Argentine Francisco Torres (17-3, 5 KOs), hasn’t fought since Terence Crawford stopped him in the twelfth round in October 2018.
The undercard also has included unbeaten Phoenix featherweight Carlos Castro (26-0, 11 KOs) against Oscar Escandon (26-5, 18 KOs) of Colombia.
Showtime was expected to televise both Jose Benavidez-Torres and Castro-Escandon.