Boxing
Canelo has to fight Benavidez, Beterbiev or Bivol or he will retire
Published
4 months agoon
David Benavidez says if Canelo Alvarez doesn’t retire he will have to fight him, Artur Beterbiev or Dmitry Bivol. He claims there are no other noteworthy fighters for Canelo (63-3-2, 39 KO) to fight for at 168 pounds.
Benavidez points out that no one asked 35-year-old Canelo to fight Terence Crawford in the fight of the century on September 13, 2025. They wanted to see Canelo fight these fighters:
- David Benavidez
- Artur Beterbiew
- Dmitry Bivol
Canelo’s 168 options are drying up
‘Mexican monster’ Benavidez says the only fighters left in the super middleweight division are Christian Mbilli, Jaime Munguia and Diego Pacheco. These are not large fights for Canelo.
Benavidez did not mention Osleys Iglesias, who may be the best at 168 pounds, or a rematch with Crawford. Canelo would probably lose much worse in a fight against Iglesias because he is a true super middleweight and has power. This would be a nightmare for Canelo.
The second fight between Canelo and Nebraska native Crawford will be of interest to fans who enjoy chess matches with a little action. However, it is unknown whether Turki Alalshikh would be willing to invest a huge sum of money in a rematch after how monotonous their fight was last September. It was so horrible to watch.
Crawford would probably like a raise from the $50 million he made last time, and Canelo would probably like to see his purse augment as well. The performances of both fighters were at the level of boxers who are made by the thousands, not millions.
Nobody asked about Crawford
“Everyone always says I hate Canelo. But if he doesn’t retire, he’s going to have to fight fights that people want to see him fight,” David Benavidez told Fighting Hub TV. “No one wanted to see him fight Crawford.”
Turki Alalshikh was the one who wanted Canelo vs. Crawford. This was his fight and boy was it a bad one. The undercard fights were better. Fans didn’t ask Canelo to defend against Crawford. What made Turki’s decision even worse was the fact that he spent so much money using the 38-year-old Crawford, who is close to retirement, rather than a younger fighter like Benavidez to fight Canelo.
Turki backed the wrong horse
Why invest money in a player at the end of his career that fans didn’t want to see in the first place? It was a bad decision in every way. Turki should have used Benavidez because he will fight for at least another 10 years.
“No disrespect to Crawford, but people wanted to see him [Canelo] fight Bivol again. People wanted to see him fight me,” Benavidez said of Canelo. “So if he’s not going to retire. What fights will he get? What fights does he have left at 168? Munguia, Mbilli and Pacheco? No fights for him.”
Benavidez disagrees that fans want to see Canelo fight Bivol again. Americans don’t have much demand to see Canelo vs. Bivol again. This would also be a monotonous fight because Bivol has a defensive style and is monotonous to watch. Additionally, he soundly defeated Canelo via 12-round unanimous decision on May 7, 2022, by scores of 115–113, 115–113 and 115–113.
Beterbiev/Bivol’s demand
“If he comes back, he’ll have to fight one of us. He’ll have to fight Beterbiev, Bivol or me,” Benavidez said of Canelo.
Chris Williams is a senior writer for Boxing News 24covering sports since 2013 and reporting on major events around the world. His relationships range from established champions to hungry prospects vying for recognition. Over the years, Chris has worked with many of boxing’s top brass, earning respect for his insightful analysis and insider perspective.
Last update: 17/11/2025
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Boxing
Swiss No. 1 Seifeddine Letaief challenges rival Arbnor Jashari
Published
3 minutes agoon
March 10, 2026
Swiss lightweight Seifeddine Letaief told World Boxing News he is ready to settle his growing ring rivalry with fellow undefeated fighter Arbnor Jashari.
Letaief is currently in first place in the Swiss rankings for his division, while Jashari is in second place, which is a natural matchup between the two undefeated fighters.
A meeting between the pair would pit the two highest-ranked lightweights in the country against each other.
Tensions escalated with exchanges on social media, FaceTime calls about a potential fight and exchanges of words.
According to Letaief, the rivalry even escalated to the point that Jashari tried to involve the SwissBoxing committee.
“At one point he even tried to block me from SwissBoxing, claiming that I had humiliated him on social media,” Letaief told World Boxing News.
Swiss competition
Letaief insists that from his point of view the situation is plain. The undefeated lightweight says he is ready to fight and believes the fight should happen now rather than later.
“I’m ready to fight and decide everything in the ring,” he explained.
SwissBoxing has suggested waiting until both fighters have built bigger physiques before moving on to staging the fight, but Letaief believes the circumstances already make it an attractive fight for the local scene.
The clash between the No. 1 and No. 2 players in the country, combined with the rivalry between Zurich and Basel, may arouse great interest in Switzerland.
Unbroken records
Letaief, 23, turned professional in September 2024 and has compiled an undefeated record of 6-0, including two knockouts. He lives in Winterthur and has fought several times in the Zurich region, establishing himself as one of the country’s emerging prospects.
Meanwhile, Jashari has had a slightly longer professional career. The 25-year-old made his debut in April 2022 and has a 7-0 record, which includes two knockouts.
Both fighters also share a common opponent, Lasha Giorgi Vardiashvili, and each of them scored a six-round decision victory in 2025.
For now, the fight that many in the Swiss boxing community want to see remains unsigned, and Letaief has made it clear he is ready to move forward as soon as the opportunity arises.
“Despite all these talks, the fight has still not been decided. For me, the matter is plain: I am ready to fight and decide everything in the ring. I believe that this fight must take place now,” Letaief concluded.
About the author
Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.
Boxing
Oleksandr Usyk announces the list of his last three opponents and confirms that he will then retire
Published
1 hour agoon
March 10, 2026
Oleksandr Usyk still has three fights left and hopes to extend his record to 27-0 before hanging up his gloves for good.
The elite Ukrainian was undisputed at cruiserweight before repeating the feat twice at heavyweight. In both divisions, he has victories over Murat Gassiew, Mairis Briedis, Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.
I keep talking Inside the RingUsyk assured fans that while this fight may not be at the elite level he is known for, his last two fights will be.
“Rico, this is the first one. Second, Wardley-Dubois wins. The third fight is my friend Greedy Belly, Tyson Fury.”
When asked how much time he had left, Usyk confirmed that he was three years aged and had not played.
Fabio Wardley rose from interim to full WBO champion when Usyk vacated the belt last year, and he puts that status on the line against Dubois on May 9 in Manchester. If “DDD” wins tonight, Usyk’s last two scheduled fights could be trilogy fights.
The 39-year-old from Simferopol defeated Dubois and Fury twice, stopping the former in both cases and the latter on points. Fan interest in the fights may therefore be circumscribed.
However, if Wardley manages to remain with the organization in two months’ time, many would like to see the Ipswich fighter team up with the Usyk fighter who has established himself as the greatest heavyweight of a generation.
Whether this would be an uncontested fight seems unlikely. Although Usyk’s WBC belt in the match with Verhoeven is controversial, the IBF and WBA have not commented on this fight yet.
Moreover, the WBC has ordered Usyk to face Agit Kabayel next, which is clearly not in his plans. This means that it may be stripped of all three lanes in the near future.
“I just want to fight in Dublin to finish my career. Of course we’re still hoping for Croke Park, holding on to a little bit of hope that it will happen,” Taylor told RTE.
“Fighting my last fight in our most iconic arena. How special would that be? I think it would be absolutely extraordinary if I was able to do it. I’m not sure if it will happen or not. Either way, I will end my career here and I’m very excited about that.”
Taylor has only fought twice in Ireland as a professional, both fights will take place in 2023 against Chantelle Cameron at the 3Arena in Dublin. Cameron won her first fight by majority decision, handing Taylor the only defeat of her career, before Taylor regained the undisputed junior welterweight championship six months later in a rematch.
The 38-year-old Irish star remains one of the greatest fighters in women’s boxing history. Taylor won Olympic gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics before turning professional and quickly winning world titles in two categories. In 2019, she became the undisputed lightweight champion and later repeated the feat at 140 pounds.
Much of Taylor’s recent profile has been built on her rivalry with Amanda Serrano. Their first fight at Madison Square Garden in 2022 was widely celebrated and helped augment the visibility of women’s boxing. Taylor later completed the trilogy by majority vote in July, increasing her record to 25-1 (6 KO).
The possibility of saying goodbye to the stadium became the subject of interest for its long-time promoter. Hearn admitted it would take significant work to turn the idea into reality, but he believes this moment will be historic for Irish sport.
“It’s a hell of a lot of work to make sure one of the greatest athletes of all time fulfills her biggest dream. And I have to deliver Croke Park. I have to,” Hearn said on The Ariel Helwani Show.
“If I don’t give it my all, if I don’t put in every effort to make it happen, I won’t do justice to Katie and I won’t do it to myself. Because it would be the biggest sporting event in Irish history.”
Hearn said talks with Croke Park officials had taken place previously and had resumed as Taylor’s career came to an end.
“There is more momentum this time,” he said.
No opponent has been determined for Taylor’s last fight. Hearn said the focus remains on determining whether the stadium plan can be secured before making any player selections.
“Obviously you want to have an opponent who is compelling, competitive and has a story behind it,” Hearn said. “Nothing has really been discussed or said about the opponent. We are really trying to ensure that discussions with Croke Park allow for that possibility before we pursue it further.”
Olly Campbell is a boxing journalist covering this sport since 2014, providing reports from the ring and technical analyzes of the most crucial fights. His work focuses on fighter tendencies, tactical adjustments and the details that shape high-level competition.
Swiss No. 1 Seifeddine Letaief challenges rival Arbnor Jashari
Oleksandr Usyk announces the list of his last three opponents and confirms that he will then retire
Eddie Hearn fights for Katie Taylor in Croke Park
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