David Benavidez chats it up with The Ring to talk about his attempts to make some big fights and his willingness to move up in weight to make it happen. Here, Benavidez says he’s targeting fights against Jai Opetaia, Dmitry Bivol, Artur Beterbiev, Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury as he looks to cement his legacy in the sport. Here’s some of what he had to say below.

Benavidez on his attempts to fight Bivol

“We been trying to make that fight with Bivol for a long, long time. It looks like he’s not willing to take any of these big fights. He still hasn’t fought since he fought Artur Beterbiev. So, I don’t know what’s going on with Bivol, what his plans are, but I have my intentions set on this cruiserweight division. There’s a lot of great fights here…I want the fight versus me and Jai Opetaia, Cinco de Mayo weekend in T-Mobile Arena.”

On if he could potentially move up to heavyweight

“The heavyweight division is a division I definitely got my eye on, too. We got two great fights at cruiserweight before we get up there first. We got Jai Opetaia, then I think Beterbiev is going to come up to cruiserweight. And then after that I definitely want to get in a fight with Usyk and I seen Gypsy King mention my name. So, right now I’m only here to test myself and to try to be great. So if we can get in a fight with Usyk and Tyson Fury, that’s something I’m willing to do.”

On the potential to fight Beterbiev at cruiserweight

“Beterbiev has definitely reached out to our team and he’s been actively trying to make that fight. So, we’re going to give him exactly what he wants. I respect Beterbiev. He’s like 45-years-old, so the fact that he’s calling me out, I got a lot of respect for him.

“That’s a great fight for the public. Two of the most violent fights you could possibly make happen, so I’m all for it.”

On the toughest fight for him between Bivol, Beterbiev, and Opetaia

“I’m being 100% honest with you guys. The hardest challenge out of any of those fighters is Bivol. Bivol is all around a great fighter. He has great movement, he has great fundamentals, great defense. So, that in my opinion would be the hardest fight out of all of them but they’re all good fights.”

Jai Opetaia’s proposed fight with Deontay Wilder risks cheapening the Tyson Fury–Anthony Joshua bill rather than giving overseas viewers a stronger reason to watch the December 11 event in Cardiff.

The matchup is being explored for the Netflix card, according to Mike Coppinger’s reporting. No undercard fights have been confirmed, but the direction raises questions about an event already relying on two former heavyweight champions fighting well beyond their peaks.

Adding Wilder would give the show another recognizable name. It would also add another heavyweight whose reputation has outlasted his ability to compete at the highest level.

Wilder’s decline has been evident since his rematch with Fury in 2020. He hasn’t registered a solid win over a high-level opponent in years, leaving little recent evidence that he can provide the kind of test his name once promised. The possibility of one big right hand remains part of his appeal, but organizers cannot build a quality supporting bill around memories of his punching power.

Opetaia brings skill and ambition, yet he is a cruiserweight who has not established himself against leading heavyweights. Facing a badly faded Wilder creates an unusual spectacle: a smaller fighter testing a new division against a former champion whose remaining capabilities are uncertain.

An Opetaia victory could increase his exposure without answering much about how he would handle today’s best heavyweights. Wilder’s name would look useful on the record, but the version standing across from him would determine the value of the win.

There is also a limit to the audience Opetaia currently brings. He has a following in Australia and among dedicated boxing fans, but casual viewers in the U.S. have little familiarity with him. It is doubtful that his involvement alone would persuade large numbers of overseas viewers to watch.

That leaves Wilder doing much of the selling for a proposed fight whose competitive appeal depends on how much he has left.

Fury–Joshua already asks viewers to invest in an overdue meeting between faded stars. Its supporting card needs strong, competitive matchups with consequences of their own. Adding another declining heavyweight against a top cruiserweight risks making Cardiff look even more dependent on famous names from the past.

Moses It will hurt has made up his mind whether or not he will be sticking with trainer Ben Davison for his next fight.

Davison received criticism in the aftermath of Itauma’s maiden world title fight against Filip Hrgovic in Augustwith the youngster initially dominating the action but tiring as the rounds went on, with his exhaustion leading to a ninth round stoppage defeat.

Itauma is set to return to action in January, with some fans wondering whether or not he would look to switch trainers ahead of the bout, but promoter Frank Warren has told Playbook Boxing that the 21-year-old will be remaining with his current coach.

“There has been a conversation, and the proof will be in the pudding. He’s staying with Ben and the team. That’s where he is at. You’ve got to judge him now on his results, which is what we’ll do. AJ is back with Ben for his next fight, and there is a reason for that.

“It is always the case. If a fighter is winning, the trainer is great. If he gets beat, [he’s not great]. I signed off on that fight. At the end of the day, if any of them fight, that’s down to me.

“I accept my responsibility for that, and everyone has to accept responsibility for it. You expect certain things to happen in fights and certain things to happen in training. It is what it is. We have to move and move forward. It is exciting times.”

It means that alongside Itauma, Davison’s stable now also consists of Fabio Wardley, who faces Daniel Dubois in a WBO heavyweight title rematch next weekand Anthony Joshua, who has returned to Davison ahead of his battle with Tyson Fury in December.