David Benavidez is closing on a crucial phase of his career where three fights, in particular, could see him become boxing’s next pound-for-pound king.

The 29-year-old became a three-division world champion in May, dethroning Gilberto Ramirez with a sixth-round finish for the WBO and WBA cruiserweight titles.

Since then, Benavidez has flirted with the idea of moving back down to light-heavyweight but now appears set to remain at 200lbs.

He is, after all, the mandatory challenger to Michal Cieslak, who was elevated from ‘interim’ to full WBC champion following Noel Mikealian’s ninth-round stoppage defeat to Jai Opetaia last weekend.

Benavidez is therefore likely to enter a three-belt unification match with Cieslak on December 12, before targeting a more appealing clash with Opetaia for Cinco de Mayo weekend in 2027.

With ‘The Mexican Monster’ having one fight remaining on his Premier Boxing Champions contract, too, he may embrace the opportunity to become a free agent and work with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing.

Either way, father and trainer Jose Benavidez Sr has expressed his interest in the Opetaia fight, while also telling BOXING n BBQ that he would entertain showdowns with Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev.

Jose Benavidez Sr. reveals the HIT LIST he and David have in mind‼️

🥊 Jai Obedia NEXT
🥊 Artur Beterbiev
🥊 Dmitry Bivol
🥊MAYBE move up to HEAVYWEIGHT👀 pic.twitter.com/F09Rijy83I

— BOXING n BBQ (@BOXINGnBBQ) September 17, 2026

While still the unified king at 175lbs, Bivol has previously teased a move up to cruiserweight and Beterbiev, especially at this stage in his career, would surely benefit from making the same 25-pound jump.

As for Benavidez’s long-term future, though, it appears that his father is keen for a move up to heavyweight, where the former super-middleweight champion would look to follow in the footsteps of Roy Jones Jr.

Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua could finally be done and dusted within days, with Friday, December 11 in Cardiff now emerging as the intended date. The price of bringing Britain’s biggest heavyweight fight home could be a remarkable and polarizing 2am main event.

After all the smokescreens surrounding Fury’s renewed pursuit of Oleksandr Usyk and Joshua patiently waiting for his UK terms to be met, there may now be little more than the final details standing between the rivals and an official announcement.

Former WBN Lead Writer Dan Rafael reports, citing a source with direct involvement, that December 11 is now the intended date in Cardiff if everything is finalized. November 28 and December 4 had also been discussed, with permits and other bureaucracy still to be completed.

Joshua remained largely silent while Eddie Hearn repeatedly insisted that his fighter had signed for a UK fight and expected those terms to be honored.

Fury, meanwhile, publicly attacked Joshua over the delay before turning his attention back towards a third fight with Usyk.

From WBN’s perspective, the Usyk talk always looked more like another Fury smokescreen than a fight that was seriously going to derail Joshua. With the Cardiff agreement now edging closer, that assessment appears increasingly justified.

Fury vs Joshua Nears Agreement

Fury is reportedly the remaining party who needs to approve the latest changes, having repeatedly stated on social media that he wants to fight Joshua.

If everything goes smoothly over the coming days, WBN understands the agreement could be completed by the end of the weekend, with a press conference being lined up for later this month.

That would finally end a venue saga that has taken Fury vs Joshua from Saudi Arabia to Britain, across the Atlantic to New York and now back to the UK.

Joshua ultimately stood his ground, with Hearn revealing this week that Joshua rejected considerably more money to stage the fight in New York. His fighter remained determined to stick to the UK terms contained in his agreement.

Cardiff’s Principality Stadium now appears to have provided the answer, although there could be one significant compromise.

UK Fans Face 2AM Main Event

The proposed 2am start remains a sore point for British fans and could become the price of keeping Fury vs Joshua in the UK.

Netflix had backed New York as the preferred location, which would naturally have placed the fight in American prime time. A 2am main event in Cardiff would put Fury vs Joshua at around 9pm Eastern Time in the United States, allowing Netflix to retain a prime-time audience there while Joshua gets the British venue he fought to keep.

It would create the extraordinary situation of two British heavyweights finally meeting in Britain, only for thousands inside the Principality Stadium to watch them enter the ring in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The unusual Friday date creates a complication for supporters traveling to Cardiff, particularly with the event potentially running until well after 2am.

There is at least some history at the venue. Joe Calzaghe’s victory over Mikkel Kessler in 2007 began in the early hours to accommodate American television.

Almost two decades later, British fans may have to accept a similar compromise for a fight they have waited far longer to see.

After years of failed negotiations, abandoned plans and changing locations, that may finally be the compromise that gets Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua into the same ring.

Britain gets Fury vs Joshua, but British fans may just have to stay awake until 2am to see it.

About the Author

Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.

Read Phil Jay’s full bio and latest stories.

Former Mayweather Promotions world champion Ishe Smith has launched another brutal attack on Floyd Mayweather, claiming prized prospect Curmel Moton now wants out of the promotional company.

Smith, who was once among Mayweather’s most loyal fighters, reacted as questions surrounding Moton and his future begin to surface.

The former IBF super welterweight champion did not hold back.

“Been saying it for years, dude is a piece of s*** and I’m not indebted to you for life,” Smith stated.

Smith continued his attack before adding: “Now Curmel wants out, I tried to f***ing tell yall.”

Moton leaving would represent another significant blow for a promotional company that has already watched several recognizable fighters move elsewhere.

Gervonta Davis became a major star under the Mayweather banner before going his own way. Richardson Hitchins and Jalil Hackett also departed, while J’Hon Ingram publicly sought his release.

If Smith’s claim about Moton proves correct, Mayweather Promotions would lose the young fighter widely expected to become one of the centerpieces of its future.

Smith’s Mayweather Loyalty

The relationship between Smith and Mayweather was once dramatically different.

Mayweather Promotions helped Smith become IBF super welterweight champion in 2013. Two years later, Smith spoke exclusively to WBN before appearing on Mayweather’s final championship card against Andre Berto.

“Floyd has nothing else to prove, he’s done everything he wanted to accomplish in the sport of boxing,” Smith told WBN.

“There will never be another Floyd Mayweather and he will go down in history as Ali and Robinson did. There just won’t be another guy who has done it better than him,” he added.

Something significant changed in the years that followed, with Smith repeatedly criticizing his former mentor and the way fighters have been treated around Mayweather Promotions.

Smith Warned Before Tank Exit

Smith made similar claims when Davis was approaching the end of his Mayweather deal.

In 2022, WBN reported Smith’s criticism as speculation intensified that Davis would leave the company.

“The love isn’t pure. Once you realize that, you separate yourself from people,” Smith said at the time. He was also surprised Davis had remained with the company for as long as he had.

“Tank is a real one, and I said it a while ago. I’m surprised it has even lasted this long, honestly.”

Smith then made a statement remarkably similar to the one he has repeated four years later.

“I don’t owe my life to you.”

Davis subsequently separated from Mayweather Promotions, but Moton appeared determined not to follow him.

Loyal Moton

When WBN addressed the Mayweather Promotions exodus with Moton in 2024, the highly rated prospect made his position clear.

“I’m loyal,” Moton told WBN at the time.

As recently as March, Moton was still publicly praising his relationship with Mayweather and expressing complete trust in his team.

Four years after warning about Davis before his departure, Smith believes another of Mayweather’s most important fighters is preparing to make the same decision.

If Moton does eventually move on, Mayweather Promotions would lose arguably the most important young fighter it still had to build around.

Smith believes he has seen this happen before.

About the Author

Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.

Read Phil Jay’s full bio and latest stories.