David Benavidez has proven that he is not afraid of any challenge in boxing, but one rumoured opponent is hoping that he ‘hasn’t scared Benavidez’ off from a potential cruiserweight battle.

‘The Mexican Monster’ reigned as the WBC light-heavyweight champion, but made the 25lb jump from 175lbs to 200lbs earlier this year to challenge for Gilberto Ramirez’s unified WBA and WBO titles – and scored an emphatic knockout to claim both belts.

Now, should he come through Michal Cieslak unscathed in December, Benavidez has revealed a three-fight plan that includes a potential undisputed title showdown with Jai Opetaia, a clash with Artur Beterbiev, and a possible move up to heavyweight.

When discussing the proposed battle with former undisputed light heavyweight champion Beterbiev, Benavidez joked to The Ring that he respects Beterbiev for pursuing a fight with him despite being ’45 years old’.

“Beterbiev has definitely reached out to our team. He’s actively been trying to make that fight. We want to give him what he wants. You know, I respect Beterbiev. He’s about 45 years old, and the fact he’s calling me out, I have great respect for him.”

In response, Beterbiev – who is actually 41 years old – has posted a training clip onto his Instagramhinting at a future fight with Benavidez in the caption.

“I hope nobody was scared off by my ’45-year-old’ physique!”

Beterbiev, who has a 90% knockout ratio from his 22 fights, is also being touted for a light-heavyweight trilogy with fierce foe, Dmitry Bivol, where a victory could tee up a mammoth meeting between he and Benavidez for mid-to-late 2027.

Dan Rafael suspects Paramount’s tight-lipped stance on the audience numbers for Ryan Garcia against Conor Benn signals a weak return on Zuffa Boxing’s massive financial commitment.

When Rafael reached out to network publicists for viewership data, he was met with complete radio silence. That lack of transparency led him to conclude the numbers missed internal targets, even though he lacks official data or direct confirmation from network executives.

“I didn’t even get a response. I mean, that to me was the biggest tell of all,” Rafael said to Total Boxing. “They were embarrassed by the numbers, I’m sure, for that fight.”

Putting Garcia in with Benn was designed to prove Zuffa’s ability to pull serious traffic by utilizing bankable headliners. Rafael acknowledges that fresh promotional outfits require runway to grow a following, yet he contends this specific headliner carried far loftier expectations. Benn had secured what Rafael termed astronomical pay for a prior Netflix undercard slot before stepping into the Paramount ring against Garcia.

“They had expectations to get some big bang for their buck,” Rafael noted.

With Paramount keeping the data sealed, the actual viewership remains anyone’s guess. Rafael’s view relies strictly on the hefty fighter purses, the brand value of the headliners, and the total lack of feedback to his media inquiries.

Still, Rafael praised Paramount for offering Garcia versus Benn to base subscribers without tacking on a pay-per-view fee.

His deeper critique targets the overall calendar. Rafael sees quality in-ring action on Zuffa’s preliminary bills, yet he likens the lower-profile lineups to the vintage ESPN2 Friday Night Fights broadcasts. A dedicated subscription platform must deliver steady marquee attractions to keep accounts active between developmental shows.

Rafael also pointed to Zuffa’s schedule leaning heavily toward UK venues and upcoming Saudi cards through the back half of the year, contending the promotion practically vacated the American territory throughout that run.

Paramount faces a steep climb that requires more than sporadic name-brand attractions. The platform must supply subscribers with consistent reasons to maintain memberships, while its costliest main events must generate figures the network can proudly broadcast.

Floyd Mayweather has recently confirmed he still intends to rematch Manny Pacquiao, and the American has also declared that he believes another return fight is on the cards.

Mayweather-Pacquiao II was scheduled to take place in September following an announcement for the event from Netflix, until Mayweather’s legal issues caused it to be cancelled.

It is still believed that the pair will meet again in 2027, with ‘TBE’ willing to put his famous 50-0 professional record on the line, despite what will be a decade-long spell of professional inactivity when he returns to the ring.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao made his comeback in July 2025 and is currently being linked to a return to action on the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua undercard in December, where he has been mentioned for a fight with two-time world champion Joe Cordina.

On the PBD PodcastMayweather revealed that a second showdown with Pacquiao is not the only rematch on his mind, admitting his interest in another battle with UFC superstar Conor McGregor.

“I actually think that me and Conor McGregor may lock up again, actually, absolutely.”

Mayweather beat McGregor by 10th round stoppage when they met in August 2017. The Irishman returned to fight in the UFC for the first time since 2021 when he faced Max Holloway earlier this year, but a knee injury brought the contest to an early end.

Continuing, 49-year-old Mayweather explained why a boxing bout with him would be a viable option for the Irishman next year.

“He didn’t break his hand, he broke his foot, right? Okay, well we going from the shoulders.”

Mayweather also reiterated his plans to face heavyweight legend Mike Tyson in an exhibition before the end of the yearin order to help him prepare for a professional comeback in 2027.