Worldboxingnews.com has received an update on talks between Dmitry Bivol and David Benavidez, but the deal is not straightforward.
Bivol, the current undisputed light heavyweight champion, defeated Artur Beterbiev in a high-profile rematch on February 22 in Riyadh. With one win apiece, the immediate expectation as the dust settled was that Bivol [24-1, 12 KOs] and Beterbiev would fight again to complete the trilogy saga.
However, a World Boxing Council mandatory order complicated the situation. WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman stated that Bivol ‘must fight David Benavidez next’ when outlining the 175-pound category’s status in its quarterly update.
Immediate rumors began to spread about the potential Bivol-Benavidez super-fight, which many fans believe the latter deserves after missing out on Canelo Alvarez at super middleweight.
Benavidez [30-0, 24 KOs] defeated David Morrell for the interim WBC light heavyweight title on a PBC Pay-Per-View event three weeks before Bivol avenged the first fight with Beterbiev via majority decision. After a meeting during fight week last month, Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority Turki Alalshikh got involved with the ‘Mexican Monster,’ giving fresh hope to the Bivol clash.
After Benavidez promoter Sampson Lewkowicz played down the reports, they were close to finalizing a deal with the media, so WBN followed up with Team Bivol.
Bivol vs Benavidez
Manager Vadim Kornilov gave the latest to World Boxing News on Thursday. He exclusively told WBN, “Our legal team has had exchanges with the other team as far as I am aware. We are interested in the fight, but at this point, we have to work with our team to plan things out as there are other obligations, as I am sure you are aware.”
Asked if the focus would be on Bivol defending his belts in a third fight with Beterbiev, Kornilov replied, “We don’t know anything one hundred percent yet because it’s a little too early. The second fight just happened.”
After adding the WBC, IBF, and WBO titles to his WBA version, Bivol is in high demand. Canelo Alvarez is also considered keen on a rematch as part of his four-fight deal with Alalshikh. This scenario means Bivol may have up to three bouts on the horizon, and who his next fight will be is uncertain.
Kornilov and his team will officially announce once Bivol has completed his well-earned rest.
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Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010.
