Benavidez poised to make a mandatory choice between 175 and 168

By Norm Frauenheim –

 

LAS VEGAS – If David Benavidez beats Oleksandr Gvozdyk Saturday night at the MGM Grand, he’ll have a decision to make.

 

A Benavidez victory would make him the World Boxing Council’s mandatory light-heavyweight challenger for the winner of the Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol fight, re-scheduled for October 12.

 

He is already the WBC’s super-middleweight mandatory challenger to Canelo Alvarez’ undisputed title.

 

If Benavidez, a solid favorite, beats Gvozdyk in his 175-pound debut on Amazon Prime, he is expected to choose one or the other immediately after the fight, Benavidez promoter Sampson Lewkowicz confirmed Wednesday before a news conference featuring the main event, Tank Davis-versus-Frank Martin

 

Benavidez, a Phoenix fighter now living in Miami, would have 10 days to decide, according to a deadline imposed by the WBC.

 

Benavidez, who has said he is moving past all the talk about a showdown with Canelo, still talked about the Mexican pay-per-view star after he arrived in Vegas Tuesday.

 

He still believes the fight can happen.

 

Still, believes he can beat Canelo, too.

 

“in my heart, it’s going to happen,” Benavidez (28-0, 24 KOs) said. “When? I don’t know.

 

“But we’re 100 percent ready to get that fight and get that victory as well. I’m ready to fight whoever and beat whoever.’’

 

This week, that means Gvozdyk (20-1, 16 KOs), a whoever who held the WBC’s light-heavyweight belt from 2018 to 2019.

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