Last week, the World Boxing Council’s (WBC) held their annual convention in Mexico and there were plenty of headlines generated.
The sanctioning body issued numerous directives – including their decision to order a super middleweight showdown between big punchers David Benavidez and David Lemieux – with the WBC’s interim-title at stake.
Mexican superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is the WBC’s full champion at 168-pounds, but he intends to compete at cruiserweight in May.
In theory, the winner of Benavidez and Lemieux would become the mandatory to Canelo. Or, the winner would become the full champion if Canelo decides to remain at a higher weight.
Lemieux’s promoter, Camille Estephan, has already had preliminary discussions with Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing, who promote Benavidez.
They are currently looking at dates in February and March, for a Showtime televised main event.
“We want the fight,” said Estephan to The Montreal Journal. “We are going there to tear off our opponent’s head.”
For the 32-year-old Lemieux, this is his last opportunity to become world champion. A golden opportunity that Lemieux has been waiting for since his loss to Billy Joe Saunders in 2017.
In the past three years, Lemieux has not been very active due to the pandemic. He’s only averaged one fight a year.
The 24-year-old Benavidez, a two-time super middleweight champion, was in action earlier this month when he stopped Kyrone Davis. Benavidez has picked up stoppages in 22 of his 25 pro fights. He’s never lost his world title in the ring. The first time the WBC belt became vacant after he tested positive for cocaine. And then he lost the belt for the second time when he failed to make weight for last year’s fight with Roamer Angulo.