José Benavidez Sr., father and trainer of David Benavidez (32-0, 26 KOs), has laid out an ambitious four-fight plan that could eventually see his son make his heavyweight debut against former unified champion Andy Ruiz Jr. (35-3, 22 KOs).
The plan would first see Benavidez face WBC cruiserweight champion Michal Cieslak in a three-belt unification fight. Benavidez currently holds the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles, while the WBC has confirmed him as Cieslak’s mandatory challenger.
The WBC has also ordered the winner of that fight to face Jai Opetaia next, setting up the second stage of Benavidez Sr.’s plan.
After completing those two cruiserweight fights, Benavidez Sr. wants his son to move back down to light heavyweight for a fight against either Dmitry Bivol or Artur Beterbiev before eventually jumping to heavyweight to face Ruiz.
“After that we would love make a fight with Andy Ruiz Jr. We are just dreaming here but those are the fights that are very possible to make, I told him that I think those fights are possible to make. Imagine David Benavidez-Andy Ruiz!” Benavidez Sr. said.
Benavidez Sr. made clear that the Ruiz matchup remains a long-term goal rather than a finalized fight.
“I want to give a big shoutout to Andy Ruiz, he is a great fighter and my heart is with him, he is like family to me. But, at the end of the day, I believe that he would love the same — an opportunity to fight ‘The Mexican Monster’ — and for us it would be a great opportunity,” Benavidez Sr. said.
If the plan comes together, Ruiz would represent Benavidez’s first fight at heavyweight after competing at super middleweight, light heavyweight and cruiserweight.