Shawn Porter believes David Benavidez’s toughest assignment could come between the cruiserweight and lithe heavyweight divisions, against a former world champion with tremendous power.

Although the “Mexican Monster” has hinted at a possible move to heavyweight, it is more likely that he will stay at 200 pounds or drop back to 175 pounds for his next fight.

His last meeting with Gilberto Ramirez ended in a sixth-round stoppage, which made him a three-division world champion last month, winning the WBO and WBA titles.

Benavidez has since been named the mandatory challenger for the WBC title, putting him in line for a potential unification fight with cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian.

At the same time, the 29-year-old expressed interest in fighting Jai Opetaia, considered the No. 1 fighter in the cruiserweight division, while considering a return to lithe heavyweight, where he still holds the WBC title.

It would only be a desire to fight Dmitry Bivol or Artur Beterbiev, who could alternatively join the rubber match for Bivol’s IBF, WBO and WBA titles.

Beterbiev hasn’t fought since their rematch, that is Bivol won by majority decision in February 2025 and is certainly nearing the end of his career.

Former world champion Porter, however, went on to say his YouTube channel that he thinks the 41-year-old knockout could still cause problems for Benavidez.

“In the case of Beterbiev, there is this power. [Even now]it’s still a machine. Of all these players, I trust Beterbiev’s power to test Benavidez more than anything else.

“Bivol has amazing skills. For me, Opetaia [is] he is not experienced enough.”

Most believe that Bivol and Opetaia pose a greater threat to Benavidez’s unbeaten record, given that Beterbiev has a history of injuries and is perhaps even more out of shape.

Oleksandr Usyk’s performance against Rico Verhoeven continues to divide opinion, but John Fury believes the Ukrainian deserves much more recognition than he received after their heavyweight clash.

Usyk defended his WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight titles following an 11th-round victory over Verhoeven last month, although the result sparked debate after the Dutchman enjoyed considerable success throughout the competition.

Verhoeven had a slight advantage on one judge’s scorecard after 10 rounds, while the other two judges fought even at 95-95. Usyk eventually turned the tide with a right uppercut that knocked down the former kickboxing champion before referee Mark Lyson waved off the fight once the round had already ended.

Despite the criticism directed at Usyk’s performance, John Fury emphasized that the three-time undisputed champion should not be judged too harshly.

“No, you know, because ultimately he created problems. He’s a 6-foot-6 athlete, he trains like a demon, he’s as robust as a bull, and he plays like a badger. He’s going to cause problems. World kickboxing champion. I don’t know who said he doesn’t have a chance,” John told Secondsout about Usyk’s fight with the much larger Verhoeven.

Fury also pointed to a size disadvantage that Usyk has consistently overcome since moving up from cruiserweight.

“You have to give Usyk credit because he’s just a cruiserweight that’s blowing up, you know, and he’s won heavyweight titles, right? But you know what? He just seems to have done his job, right? And he’s done his job. So fair game to Usyk.”

However, Fury remained critical of the controversial ending, arguing that Verhoeven’s corner should have been used to determine whether their fighter was able to continue in the final round.

Verhoeven has since called for a rematch, although Usyk’s immediate future remains uncertain. The undefeated champion has been ordered by the WBC to make a mandatory defense against Agit Kabayel, and failure to do so could jeopardize his title reign.

Olly Campbell is a boxing journalist covering this sport since 2014, providing reports from the ring and technical analyzes of the most critical fights. His work focuses on fighter tendencies, tactical adjustments and the details that shape high-level competition.

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Last update: 2026/06/12 at 13:57

Jesse Rodriguez isn’t looking to crown himself boxing’s pound-for-pound king just yet, admitting that Naoya Inoue and Oleksandr Usyk should be higher than him on the charts.

On achievement alone, it’s strenuous to dispute the 26-year-old’s assessment, given that both Inoue and Usyk have become undisputed two-division champions.

However, based on recent performances, it could be argued that ‘Bam’ has been a bit strenuous on himself, especially considering Usyk’s needy performance against Rico Verhoeven last month.

Rodriguez, on the other hand, secured decisive stoppages against Phumelela Cafu and Fernando Martinez last year to become the unified 115-pound champion.

Thanks to this momentum, he now has a chance to become a three-division world champion against Antonio Vargas, whom he will face next Saturday for the WBA bantamweight title.

If he emerges victorious, Rodriguez will be ready to face super bantamweight king Inoue, whom he called a top fighter in the sport.

Elsewhere on his list, “Bam” admitted that four-division world champion Shakur Stevenson also ranks above him, solely based on his unanimous decision victory over Teofimo Lopez in January.

Disclosure of this information during a media conference with several outlets, including: Fighting the noiseRodriguez admitted that Usyk also deserves a place in the top three.

“I think I’m in fourth place. I was in third place, but after Shakur won [against] Teofimo, I feel I have no choice but to put him in third place.

“So I have Inoue first, Usyk second, Shakur [at three] and then myself [at four]”

Rodriguez, while not doing enough to finish in the top three, will certainly change his mind if he can beat Inoue, who he could face in slow 2026 or early next year.