Shakur Stevenson offered his predictions for a potential clash between David Benavidez and Jai Opetaia, describing one man as a “beast.”

Last month, Benavidez gained weight to 200 pounds, becoming a three-division world champion dethroning Gilberto Ramirez with a decisive sixth-round stoppage.

However, despite holding the WBO and WBA titles, “The Mexican Monster” has since been considered the mandatory challenger for the WBC title, putting him in position to fight cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian.

It was previously reported that Mikaelian would face Opetaia later this year, but it now appears that Benavidez has torpedoed their negotiations.

The 29-year-old is reportedly currently in “advanced” talks to face Mikaelian later this year, potentially leaving Opetaia without an obvious opponent.

The former IBF champion scored a unanimous decision victory over Brandon Glanton to capture Zuffa’s inaugural cruiserweight title in his first fight under Dana White’s promotional uniform.

Even without a classic world title, Opetaia is still widely considered the top dog at 200 pounds, while others may argue that Benavidez has already passed him.

If the pair ever met, said four-division world champion Stevenson Agnew Podcast that he will favor a naturally smaller man.

“I’ve got Benavidez. I think he’s a beast – you have to be at an elite level to even be in the ring with him.”

Despite becoming the unified cruiserweight champion, Benavidez is definitely a more natural operator at 175 pounds, where he still holds the WBC belt.

Opetaia, on the other hand, is a legitimate 200-pound fighter and certainly boasts a significant size advantage over the Mexican-American.

The World Boxing Association says it wants fewer champions. Boxing heard the same thing in 2013.

More than a decade later, the organization is making the same commitment again, with 43 champions on its books.

The WBA announced this week that it remains committed to reducing the number of world champions while also seeking to tighten the championship structure.

The statement reads:

“The WBA remains committed to its goal of reducing the number of world champions and our recent decisions continue to move in that direction.

“In this context, it should be noted that the three recently announced fights have not yet been approved by the WBA.

“Following recent media reports regarding bantamweight, minimum and airy flyweight world title fights, the WBA clarifies that these fights have not yet received official approval.

“We will receive an official statement from the Championship Committee soon.”

Fourth time

To longtime observers, the announcement sounded familiar.

In 2013, WBA vice president Gilberto Mendoza told World Boxing News that the organization was considering the future of its controversial super and interim championships and considering ways to simplify its title structure.

The same conversation resurfaced in 2021 when the WBN removed WBA recognition from its championship lists amid concerns about multiple champions and title designations.

The recognition was later restored after improvements were made.

By 2024, the number of champions has increased again. Now, in 2026, the WBA is once again promising fewer champions.

The number is 43

This is where the latest commitment faces its biggest challenge after growing by 55 percent in recent years.

The WBA currently recognizes 43 titleholders in its divisions, including the super, regular, interim, recessionary and WBA Gold titles.

Just a few weeks ago, WBN documented how, despite repeated reform efforts, the number has increased from 27 champions in June 2024 to 43 in June 2026.

Former WBO president Paco Valcarcel recently described the WBA championship structure as a “joke” after bantamweight titleholder Seiya Tsutsumi publicly admitted he wasn’t sure where he was in the title picture.

The timing is intriguing because proposed changes to the Muhammad Ali Act would limit sanctioning bodies to one world title per division in the United States. If this ever happens, the days of multiple champions in the same weight class will be numbered.

Boxing heard this promise in 2013, heard it again in 2021, and heard it again in 2024.

Now, with 43 champions on the books, this is the fourth time he’s heard it.

After thirteen years, four reform drives and 43 WBA champions, she has reached the point where only results matter.

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. Since 2010, he has been interviewing world champions, breaking down international titles exclusively and reporting from the ring. His work is distributed on major platforms including Apple News. Read the full biography.

The former world champion says he is fed up with pre-fight talks and is focused solely on the match on July 25 in Sydney

Tim Tszyu says he’s not interested in exchanging words with Errol Spence Jr. ahead of their fight on July 25 in Sydney. The former world champion also rejected Shakur Stevenson’s comments and insisted he remains focused on the task in front of him.

“No, it’s fine. He talks about it and it doesn’t matter. It is what it is. I don’t get into that type of slapping anymore, you know? I’m just here to hurt,” Tszyu told Jai McAllister Boxing.

Earlier in the interview, Tszyu said he believes he is at his best when he has no distractions and his attention is solely on boxing.

“The version? Just content, content. And when I’m content, I think that’s the most risky part. You know, when you’re focused on what you have to do and you don’t have these other things around you,” Tszyu said.

He was also asked about comments from Shakur Stevenson, who recently said he hoped Spence would beat him. Tszyu had a brief answer for the undefeated lightweight champion.

“That’s another, another hater. What can you say? I actually like Shakur Stevenson, but I rate Tank Davis better. So yeah, just do it this way,” Tim said.

The fight will take place at a catchweight of 158 pounds. The gala will also feature Jermall Charlo against Koen Mazoudier and Liam Wilson against Stephen Fulton.

Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fighting landscape. His reports focus on the most essential fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.

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Last updated: 20/06/2026 at 5:15