David Benavidez is new to ideas. After taking the interim WBC super middleweight title in 2020, the 27-year-old was sure that Canelo Alvarez would have no choice but to fight him. That valuable trinket, however, did nothing to put Benavidez in the position he wanted.
So, despite being the WBC's number one contender, Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) thought it made more sense than a few top names. Still, despite victories over David Lemieux, Caleb Plant, and Demetrius Andrade, Alvarez was lukewarm to the idea of facing him.
Andy Ruiz, in the distance, watched as Benavidez's screams fell on deaf ears. In his opinion, the former two-time super middleweight champion has earned his stripes.
“I think Benavidez deserves a shot,” Ruiz told a group of reporters recently.
If he wanted to, Benavidez could continue to play the waiting game. Instead, he decided it was in his best interest to put Alvarez on the back burner and move on, literally and physically.
A few months ago, Benavidez said goodbye to the super middleweight division and officially made his light heavyweight debut, picking up a wide decision win over Oleksandr Gvozdyk. Now he will have to decide whether he will continue his work in his new home or not or return to his familiar place.
While he continues to weigh his options, Ruiz (35-2, 22 KOs) believes Benavidez will eventually move up not only to the light heavyweight division but also to the cruiserweight and heavyweight fighting arenas.
It may be a while before that actually happens, but Ruiz is not myopic. If and when Benavidez makes a move, the former unification heavyweight hopes they can continue.
“I think David can do anything because he is big and strong. She is very young, very beautiful, very young. If he goes to heavyweight, I hope he will give me a chance to fight me.”
First things first, however, Ruiz is putting the finishing touches on a tough training camp. In just a few short weeks, he will stand across the ring from his best friend Jarrell Miller, and try to do everything in his power to pull out the victory.
Meeting Benavidez is not something Ruiz is completely focused on. He knows the 27-year-old still has work to do at grassroots level. But, given the so-called size advantage that Ruiz, or any heavyweight for that matter, would enjoy over Benavidez, that thought might be a bit far-fetched.
“Yes, he can,” explained Ruiz when asked if Benavidez could put on enough weight. “When he walks, he's probably still 200 pounds anyway. I'm sure you feel strong. He's a really talented kid.”
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