Team Benavidez wants to stay in 168lb rankings

Sampson Lewkowicz, promoter for undefeated two-time WBC Super Middleweight World Champion David “El Bandera Roja” Benavidez, has sent the following letter to the WBC, requesting they reinstate Benavidez into their super middleweight rankings. After failing to make weight for what would have been his first defense of the WBC strap against Roamer Alexis Angulo on August 15, the WBC installed Benavidez (23-0, 20 KOs) as their #1 contender at light heavyweight.

However, after consulting with physicians in his hometown of Phoenix, Team Benavidez say they’re confident the pandemic played a major role in Benavidez’s weight problems and that 168lbs is still a safe weight to make for the 23-year-old Benavidez.

Benavidez was stripped of his WBC title by weighing in 2.8 pounds over the super middleweight limit but went on to score a dominating 10th round TKO over Angulo.

Lewkowicz says he’s requesting the WBC place Benavidez in the super middleweight ratings in a position where he can secure an elimination fight and start the road to regaining his championship.

Benavidezletter

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  • Benavidez needs to take his career more serious there is no excuse for him missing weight he’s tall but not broad shouldered and heavy boned he’s just not the muscular type and I don’t expect him to ever be body beautiful which skeptics like Pablo Perfecto who calls him fatso will never understand Pablo is madly in love with Caleb Plant has the most obvious man lust and crush on him which is just disgusting but that’s another story. Benavidez can wipe out the division but he needs to focus on making weight!

    • All these junior and super weight classes encourage trying to fit into an unnatural weight class to have a strength advantage. He is a lightheavyweight.

  • Mira cabron David Benavides,

    That’s the good vibe I wanted to read in your future efforts to continue fighting at 168. Make all healthy efforts/measures to make 168, so you can keep kicking nalgas for an eventual entry into the HOF, as a BOXING BAD A*SS at 168!!

  • Super Middleweight (168)

    C Callum Smith, 27-0, 19 KOs

    1 Caleb Plant, 20-0, 12 KOs
    2 David Benavidez, 23-0, 20 KOs
    3 Saul Alvarez, 53-1-2, 36 KOs
    4 Billy Joe Saunders, 29-0, 14 KOs
    5 John Ryder, 28-5, 16 KOs
    6 Anthony Dirrell, 33-2-1, 24 KOs
    7 Caleb Truax, 31-4-2, 19 KOs
    8 Daniel Jacobs, 36-3, 30 KOs
    9 Jurgen Brahmer, 52-3, 38 KOs
    10 Lionell Thompson, 22-5, 12 KOs
    11 Jose Uzcategui, 29-4, 24 KOs
    12 Ronald Gavril, 19-3, 15 KOs
    13 Fedor Chudinov, 22-2, 15 KOs
    14 Rocky Fielding, 28-2, 16 KOs
    15 Avni Yildirim, 21-2, 12 KOs
    16 David Lemieux, 41-4, 34 KOs
    17 Tyron Zeuge, 24-1-1, 14 KOs
    18 Azizbek Abdugofurov, 13-0, 5 KOs
    19 Ali Akhmedov, 16-0, 12 KOs
    20 Robert Parzeczewski, 25-1, 16 KOs

  • He just needs to make weight next time, remain more disciplined and he will be okay.

  • If he and his team believe they can make weight at 168 then go for it. However the WBC, Golden Boy and Canelo will try to avoid Benavidez as long as they can.

    • That’s hilarious and also extremely hypocritical. He gets a #1 spot at LH after losing his strap 2x on weight. Whos is the LH Champ? Looks like someone is avoiding Biederbiev at all costs. Kid is young and can barely hold that weight. Time to move up. He won’t get Canelo now anyways. Who has this kid really fought anyways to get a shot. You need to be marketable and he just isn’t there yet.

  • Benavidez and his team should be carefully and sincere , if they are at this point, excellent. Sacrifice a young man that
    still growing, just hoping for a big payday (against Canelo) and avoid the tough guys at 175, will never justify the actions. If he struggles mighty to get the 168, let him grow to the next level, don’t forget he is only 23.

  • Obviously another way for Sulaimán to protect his boy crush Canelo. Alverez is running out of places to hide from tough challenges. With Bene ranked #1 WBC for Super mid, Canelo would have to drop the WBC belt after his next fight. At this point he should retire if he doesn’t have the heart to fight the best. He’s just milking the game at this point. Nice of the WBC to take it upon themselves to decide what weight to move Benevidez. WBC is becoming a protection center for privileged fighters. WBC makes the sport look bad with its shameless politics.

    • Canelo is a franchise champion for the WBC which, essentially, makes him immune to WBC mandatories. Provided he beats Yildirim, they’ll probably give Benavidez an opportunity to get his belt back against someone else and he’ll be the functioning champion in that weight class – like Charlo at middleweight. The WBA doesn’t care about mandatories, so if he stays away from holding an IBF or WBO belt for any length of time, I can’t imagine Alvarez will actually have to drop a belt for the rest of his career if he doesn’t want to.

    • They could strip him from the rankings totally if they want. But he’s losing on the scales and still a good fighter and want to keep him fighting for their belts. Funny how Canelo is chicken for not fighting Bieterbiev but this kid obviously not wanting too should be ignored.

  • Crooked and bias WBC showing special favor for their fellow Mexicans. Benavidez didn’t want that number one ranking in the WBC, because he knows that title holder at 175 would knock him out. Having the number one ranking in the WBC is the last thing that Benavidez wants to have at 175. I mean, if Benavidez was a real warrior like he says he is (and his delusional fans too) he would jump at the chance to have a shot at a 2 belt unified champion. The problem is, that unified champ’s name is Artur Beterbiev.

  • Sampson Lewkowicz must have evaluated Benavidez’s options upon the WBC’s rankings at 168 and 175. What could be better, force him to make 168 and face a softie to regain the title and hope to face the winner of Alvarez vs. Yildirim or let him to stay at what could be a healthier weight, but to be sandwiched between Gilberto “zurdo” Ramirez and Artur Beterbiev??
    Obviously promoters mentality is the same in all of them: business first, sake of the athlete play a second role. I hope not to see a drained Benavidez in his next weight in

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