David Benavidez sat on the ring apron and wrapped his arms before a tardy February training session at the BOXR Gym in Downtown Miami. The prospect of fighting Canelo Alvarez, a man he had long pursued, eluded Benavidez once again.

He had no intention of sulking. Convinced that he had exhausted all options to fight boxing’s biggest star, Benavidez did what he always does – he went back to work.

The 27-year-old shadow boxed, hit pads and trained, although no fight was planned at the time.

Instead of a top super middleweight clash with Benavidez, Alvarez fought Jaime Munguia over the Cinco de Mayo weekend.

With hopes of facing Alvarez already fading, Benavidez made a prudent choice. Instead of waiting for Alvarez and the lucrative payday he brings – a path many boxers follow in today’s landscape – Benavidez went ahead and moved up one weight class. He will make his lightweight heavyweight debut against Oleksandr Gvozdyk in Saturday’s feature with Gervonta Davis-Frank Martin at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas (8 p.m. ET, Prime Video PPV).

“I did everything in my power to make the Canelo fight happen,” Benavidez told ESPN on Wednesday. “…I’m not going to wait for any other fighter to start my career and I’m really going to try to become the best in whatever division I’m in. …I’m getting close to 175 pounds [pounds] and I’m going to take it over.”

There was palpable disappointment in the boxing world when Alvarez chose to fight Munguia in May rather than Benavidez, a more deserving title challenger who seemed to pose a much greater threat. It was then that Benavidez decided to move up to lightweight heavyweight. After all, what is left to achieve at 168 pounds other than a fight with Alvarez that is forever out of reach?

“You filled my pockets, you made Mungui a lot of money, all because you’re afraid of David Benavidez” – Golden Boy promoter and Hall of Fame boxer – Oscar De La Hoya announced on social media on Monday in a message to Alvarez.

Benavidez (28-0, 24 KO) has already virtually cleared the 168-pound division. His breakout 2023 campaign included comprehensive defeats of former champions Caleb Plant and Demetrius Andrade, two of the most prominent opponents of Benavidez’s career.

Certainly, those two career-best performances – combined with his growing popularity – led Benavidez to one of the best possible fights in boxing, according to many. Only Alvarez showed no interest. As the sport’s biggest draw, there’s no doubt that Alvarez calls the shots.

“I think he’s afraid he’ll lose and then I’ll take away all the shine,” Benavidez said. “…I don’t think he’s afraid of me. I don’t think he wants me to pass up the baton. …I think he doesn’t like me and doesn’t want…one more Mexican to make himself shine.”

Benavidez didn’t stop Plant, but he beat and bled him in the second half of their meeting in March 2023. Andrade was also brutally beaten; he was knocked to the ground in round 4 and retired on his stool after round 6 of the November fight. Andrade, a two-division champion, was undefeated in 32 fights.

Benavidez said as of Wednesday afternoon he only had 3 more pounds to lose before Friday’s weigh-in. At 6-foot-2½, cutting down to 168 pounds became taxing for Benavidez after more than 10 years at that weight.

“I feel like I will retain more strength, power and endurance,” he said.

This is a scary proposition for Benavidez’s future lightweight heavyweight opponents, starting with Ukrainian Gvozdyk (20-1, 16 KO). Nicknamed “The Mexican Monster” by Mike Tyson, Benavidez earned the nickname due to his fighting style, which produces devastating knockouts.

Gwozdyk is also a talented fighter, a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, who won the lineal lightweight heavyweight championship in 2018 after knocking out Adonis Stevenson in the 11th round.

“I just feel like it [Alvarez] he doesn’t want to fight me because he knows I will definitely beat him. … Of course, he still beats everyone convincingly, but it will be a different story when he steps into the ring with me.

David Benavidez

After one successful defense, Gvozdyk was stopped in the 10th round by Artur Beterbiev. He was hospitalized for several days and then retired. Gvozdyk returned in February 2023 to end a 40-month hiatus. According to ESPN, BET has three wins over low-level opponents and enters Saturday’s bout as a 450 underdog.

“I take every opponent seriously because if I prepare to fight him, he knows he has to prepare 100% against me,” Benavidez said. “I’m preparing for the best Oleksandr Gvozdyk possible. I’ve watched all his films. I know his strengths. I know his weaknesses. We’ve put together a good game plan, so now it’s time to implement it on Saturday.”

Benavidez estimated that, in addition to all film research, he had fought Gwozdyk two or three times or eight to 12 rounds in the past. “I feel like I dominated every sparring session with him, and that was when I was younger,” he said. “I didn’t have as much experience as I have now. And now I’m basically getting into my best shape, my manly strength, and I have a lot of experience in these huge fights.”

If Benavidez manages to get past Gvozdyk as expected, he will have much more attractive options at 175 pounds. Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, told ESPN he would like to pair Benavidez with the winner of the undisputed lightweight heavyweight championship fight on Oct. 12 between Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.

It’s a fight that also interests Benavidez and is considered one of the most appetizing fights in boxing. Benavidez gives the advantage to Bivol over Beterbiev “because he’s a little fresher.” Beterbiev turned 39 in January and withdrew from the planned June 1 date after knee surgery. “But it’s a 50-50 fight, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Beterbiev won.”

Benavidez said he wouldn’t be surprised if he eventually gets the call to fight Alvarez in his dream fight. Alvarez has fought at 175 pounds twice – his last fight at lightweight heavyweight was a decision loss to Bivol in May 2022 – and is the undisputed champion at 168 pounds.

Although he currently competes at lightweight heavyweight, Benavidez said he will return to super middleweight for the fight with Alvarez.

“As long as we get him in the ring, that’s all I want,” Benavidez said. “Just make the fight happen.… It’s too huge a fight to leave on the table. It will definitely happen. It’s just that I don’t know when it will happen.”

And with Beterbiev and Bivol busy with each other this fall, Benavidez will need a dance partner for the second half of the year. The logical choice is David Morrell, the undefeated Cuban who lobbied for the attack on Benavidez while fighting under the PBC banner. Morrell (10-0, 9 KO) is one spot behind Benavidez in the ESPN 168-pound rankings, but will follow his potential 175-pound opponent in an Aug. 3 fight against Radivoje Kalajdzic.

“That’s the only fight I have my eye on,” Benavidez said of Morrell. “…I think David Morrell is a forceful fighter, I’m not taking anything away from him, but I would definitely beat him [him]and this would certainly prepare me very well for the winner of Beterbiev and Bivol.”

Fighting Bivol or Beterbiev for the undisputed lightweight heavyweight title is not a consolation prize for Benavidez. If he defeats Morrell and then wins all four 175-pound titles, he will undoubtedly land on the ESPN pound-for-pound list. (Bivol is No. 5, Beterbiev No. 6.)

Surely, then, Alvarez couldn’t say no to Benavidez; The pressure may be too much for even Canelo to ignore. However, if the all-time great boxer is still not convinced to fight Benavidez by the end of 2025, he may never fight him. “[Benavidez] it brings nothing to me,” Alvarez said in March. “On fight night he just gained 25 extra pounds. That’s it. … If the promoter I work with offers $150-200 million, I will fight tomorrow. That’s the only reason I’ll fight him.”

If no one can meet Alvarez’s considerable demand, Benavidez can rest basic. After all, he wasted no time sitting on the sidelines and picking basic opponents in the hopes of getting that elusive call while protecting his undefeated record.

“I just feel like it [Alvarez] he doesn’t want to fight me because he knows I will definitely beat him,” he said. “…Of course he still beats everyone convincingly, but it will be a different story when he steps into the ring with me. And when that fight happens, I will definitely prove to the world why I am the best in the world.”