“This date doesn’t belong to one player,” Benavidez said. “This is for [boxers] who give the best fights. I want them to never forget this date and event, so that it will last a long time.”
Moving up to cruiserweight supports these ambitions. Benavidez already holds the featherlight heavyweight title and is still calling for fights with Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev at 175 pounds. He remains open to fighting Alvarez, but only at featherlight heavyweight. He says heavyweight conversations, which he continues to dismiss, could take years. He continues to focus on strengthening his position in divisions where he feels he can now dominate.
He says he’s 29 years ancient and weighs about 205 pounds, and there’s almost 10 weeks left until the fight on the Prime Video pay-per-view in Las Vegas. He described the move from 175 pounds to cruiserweight as a major physical change, but also admitted that the advantage is that he doesn’t exhaust himself during camp. “It’s nice to know I don’t have to focus on losing weight,” he said. “I expect the best version of myself.”
There is also acquaintance with Ramirez. Jose Benavidez Sr. said the two had been sparring intensively for several years, estimating they had about 100 sessions that often lasted eight to 10 rounds. He warned against underestimating the southpaw. “Don’t let him fool you. People say he’s tardy, but he’s right,” said Benavidez Snr. “He’s very basic to hit, but we have to find him. He’s not powerful, so we can take some risks. The key is punches, punches, punches.”
Few fighters operate in a boxing environment as damaged as Benavidez. He fought Anthony Yard on a Saudi-backed card linked to Turki Alalshikh. Now he is fighting a fighter promoted by Golden Boy, in alliance with Premier Boxing Champions. He continues to mention Bivol, Beterbiev and Alvarez without drawing any promotional lines. This willingness confirms his belief that he will be the main star of a weekend traditionally reserved for one star.
A decisive victory over Ramirez would change the Cinco de Mayo conversation. Instead of focusing on who Alvarez chooses, the focus would be on who consistently delivers the strongest event on any given weekend. Benavidez believes that activity and aggression can reinforce this change.
He says he follows his own path. If he wins and delivers the fight his team promises, control of the deadline may be less about tradition and more about results.