David Benavidez has revealed that Turki Alalshikh approached him with the intention of making a possible fight between the former two-time world super middleweight champion Benavidez (28-0, 24KOs) and three-weight world champion Terence Crawford (40-0, 31KOs).
Last week in New York, Alalshikh and Eddie Hearn confirmed that Crawford will step up to junior middleweight to challenge WBA titleholder Israil Madrimov (10-0-1, 7KOs) on August 3 at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California.
The event marks Alashikh’s first venture onto American soil following the rapid rise in influence of the chairman of the Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority within boxing.
Benavidez, who has cut a frustrated figure due to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez’s unwillingness to grant the “Mexican Monster” an opportunity at the undisputed super middleweight title, steps up to the 175lbs light heavyweight division against Oleksandr Gvodzyk (20-1, 16KOs) on June 15 at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas. A win over Gvodzyk will put Benavidez in line to challenge the winner of June 1’s encounter between Beterbiev and Bivol.
Benavidez’s option to step up to 175lb was not the only one on the table. The Mexican revealed to Sean Zittel that Alalshihk had previously offered him to face Terence Crawford at the middleweight limit of 160lbs.
Benavidez explained to Sean Zittel’s Youtube channel, that despite Alalshikh’s attempts to make a prospective fight between himself and Crawford, the 160lbs would have drained him too much ahead of a touted fight in August.
“I had talked to Turki, great guy. They had wanted me to fight in August,” Benavidez told Zittel.
“I told them I’m with PBC – we got this big card [on June 15]. So, I think it was just a conversation of opening the doors [to the possibility] that this might be a reality that we could make this happen. We never got to that point.
“He [Alalshikh] did mention to me one fighter. He wanted me to go down to 160 and fight Crawford,” Benavidez revealed, before adding that he explained that the weight cut required wouldn’t be possible.
“I said, ‘Bro, I cannot do that.’ If I were able to make 160, that would be amazing, but I can’t. I don’t remember the last time I weighed 160. I would love to share the ring with him, but not at 160.”