One of the most in-demand fights in boxing right now is a light-heavyweight showdown between unified champion, Dmitry Bivol, and WBC ruler, David Benavidez, for the undisputed 175lb crown.
However, two-division world champion, Teofimo Lopez, believes that the fight could result in a ‘massacre’.
Bivol claimed the undisputed light-heavyweight world title when he avenged a defeat to Artur Beterbiev last February, but the Russian was stripped of the WBC marble soon after, with Benavidez elevated to world champion.
‘The Mexican Monster’ has since gone on to claim the unified cruiserweight crown, but he maintains that he would be able to drop back down in weight in order to take on Bivol for undisputed honours.
Speaking on the Inside The Ring show, Lopez renamed Benavidez as ‘The Massacre Monster’ whilst discussing the potential fight, believing that the age difference between the two light-heavyweight champions could be a key factor in the outcome of the contest.
“I will call Benavidez, ‘The Massacre Monster’, because man, [that performance against Ramirez] was nasty. He is real nasty, he really is.”
“He [Benavidez] is coming into his prime, while the other one [Bivol] is on his way out. You have got to also think about those things.”
Bivol fulfilled his IBF mandatory by defending his belts against Michael Eifert last weekend, but the WBO have ordered him to take on their mandatory challenger, Callum Smith, in order to retain his WBO strap.
As a result, it seems as though a potential Bivol-Benavidez clash may have to wait until 2027, with Beterbiev also being considered for a trilogy affair.
