WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has announced that David Benavidez will become Canelo Alvarez’s mandatory challenger for the undisputed super middleweight championship in March. However, Sulaiman has decided to give Canelo the option to fight in May without being obligated to face Benavidez.
The designation of Benavidez as Canelo’s mandatory by Sulaiman does not provide a concrete solution, as no specific deadline has been set for when Alvarez must face him. In an interview with Pro Boxing Fans, Mauricio stated that the WBC will officially mandate the fight between Canelo and Benavidez in March, but failed to mention when the fight will be ordered.
It would hold more significance if Sulaiman imposed a strict deadline for Canelo to confront the 27-year-old Benavidez. However, Sulaiman has chosen not to do so, and the reason behind this decision is quite evident. If he were to corner the superstar Canelo, there is a high likelihood that he would relinquish the WBC title, thereby leaving the organization and Sulaiman with a less popular fighter, Benavidez, assuming the role of the champion at 168 pounds.
Consequently, this situation opens the door for a relatively unknown contender like Edgar Berlanga to take advantage and seize the WBC title. However, Berlanga does not possess the same level of popularity as Canelo or Benavidez. Ultimately, the WBC finds itself in a lose-lose predicament by attempting to coerce Canelo into facing Benavidez, especially considering that Benavidez may struggle to make the weight limit of 168 pounds in the near future.
In fact, Benavidez is fortunate that the WBC does not enforce a 10-pound rehydration rule like the IBF. It is highly improbable that he would be able to maintain his weight for a fight day weigh-in after reaching the 168-pound limit.
According to the Source boxingnews24.com