David Benavidez wants to face the best possible opponents as badly as anyone. The WBC super middleweight titleholder is dying to get his hands on fellow champion and budding rival Caleb Plant and dreams even bigger. He wants Canelo Alvarez one day.

For now, he’s playing the waiting game. And he has one advantage over other elite fighters in a similar position: He’s 23. He has time. And he’s perfectly content to use it.

In the meantime, you cross paths with the imposing Arizonan at your own risk. Next up for him: Roamer Alexis Angulo in a voluntary title defense Saturday night at the Mohegan Sun “bubble” in Uncasville, Conn.

A victory over the rough Dominican would probably be followed by a mandatory title defense against No. 1 contender Avni Yildirim. After that? Anyone’s guess.

“Time is on my side,” Benavidez told Boxing Junkie. “It doesn’t matter to me if I get these fights this year, next year, in two years. I’ll be ready. I’m not going anywhere. I have at least 10 years left in the boxing game.”

Benavidez (22-0, 19 KOs) was scheduled to fight Angulo (26-1, 22 KOs) on April 18 but the fight gave way to the coronavirus pandemic and was later rescheduled.

Of course, the COVID-19 shutdown slowed Benavidez’s momentum – as it has so many fighters – but he also caught a break. His father had just completed a private gym in their hometown of Phoenix when the pandemic hit, which gave him a boxing sanctuary.

He said he has trained every day. He’s fit. He’s focused. He’s eager.

“I’m just ready to pick up where I left off,” he said.

Angulo (26-1, 22 KOs) might have something to say about that.

The Miami-based Colombian, 36, isn’t a boxing wizard but he’s an unusually strong, hard-punching pressure fighter who is dangerous for anyone at 168 pounds. In his only loss, in June 2018, he lost a wide decision to then-titleholder Gilberto Ramirez but the Mexican boxed carefully after feeling Angulo’s power.

“[Angulo] is more of a brawler,” Benavidez said. “He’s a pretty good counterpuncher. I’m not underestimating him at all. I can’t sleep in there, I can’t get careless. I want to look good in this fight.

“I’m younger than he is. I’ve been in bigger fights, obviously. I’m a world champion. And I have the perfect style for a brawler. I have a great jab, I throw body shots, I have hand speed, I feel my defense is underestimated.

“I have all the things in my arsenal to looking amazing in there.”

If he wins?

The WBC will likely require him to face Yildirim, who was supposed to have been his opponent in April but was injured and replaced by Angulo before the pandemic put boxing on hold. The Turk is only a solid fighter, probably no better than Angulo, meaning a victory wouldn’t mean much.

That’s where Benavidez’s patience will have to come in. If he keeps winning, regardless of the opponent, the big fights will come.

The first one might be a title-unification showdown with Plant, a talented, unbeaten 28-year-old with whom Benavidez seems to be building an out-of-the-ring rivalry. Then, if things continue to go well, Benavidez will set his sights on arguably the biggest prize in the sport, Alvarez.

That is if the Mexican superstar is interested. Alvarez and his team have considered a long list of potential opponents – including some super middleweights – for his next fight but, evidently, Benavidez’s name wasn’t on it. He said he never received a feeler of any kind.

Why? We can only speculate.

“Plant got an offer, [Callum] Smith got an offer, [Billy Joe] Sanders got an offer. I haven’t even been in the discussion even though I’ve called him out. I don’t know why they wouldn’t want to give me the fight now.

“I can say this, though: If they don’t give it to me [soon], I’m going to be more dangerous a year or two years from now. Every year I’m going to get more experience, I’m going to get stronger, I’m going to get better. I’ll be ready whenever they give me the opportunity.

“As I said, I’m not going anywhere.”

Benavidez’s plan is to keep winning, to keep climbing until he has leverage similar to Alvarez’s, where everyone wants to fight him because of the money and exposure involved. The next step is a victory over Angulo.

[lawrence-related id=7072,6918,6276,6118]

David Benavidez wants to face the best possible opponents as badly as anyone. The WBC super middleweight titleholder is dying to get his hands on fellow champion and budding rival Caleb Plant and dreams even bigger. He wants Canelo Alvarez one day.

For now, he’s playing the waiting game. And he has one advantage over other elite fighters in a similar position: He’s 23. He has time. And he’s perfectly content to use it.

In the meantime, you cross paths with the imposing Arizonan at your own risk. Next up for him: Roamer Alexis Angulo in a voluntary title defense Saturday night at the Mohegan Sun “bubble” in Uncasville, Conn.

A victory over the rough Dominican would probably be followed by a mandatory title defense against No. 1 contender Avni Yildirim. After that? Anyone’s guess.

“Time is on my side,” Benavidez told Boxing Junkie. “It doesn’t matter to me if I get these fights this year, next year, in two years. I’ll be ready. I’m not going anywhere. I have at least 10 years left in the boxing game.”

Benavidez (22-0, 19 KOs) was scheduled to fight Angulo (26-1, 22 KOs) on April 18 but the fight gave way to the coronavirus pandemic and was later rescheduled.

Of course, the COVID-19 shutdown slowed Benavidez’s momentum – as it has so many fighters – but he also caught a break. His father had just completed a private gym in their hometown of Phoenix when the pandemic hit, which gave him a boxing sanctuary.

He said he has trained every day. He’s fit. He’s focused. He’s eager.

“I’m just ready to pick up where I left off,” he said.

Angulo (26-1, 22 KOs) might have something to say about that.

The Miami-based Colombian, 36, isn’t a boxing wizard but he’s an unusually strong, hard-punching pressure fighter who is dangerous for anyone at 168 pounds. In his only loss, in June 2018, he lost a wide decision to then-titleholder Gilberto Ramirez but the Mexican boxed carefully after feeling Angulo’s power.

“[Angulo] is more of a brawler,” Benavidez said. “He’s a pretty good counterpuncher. I’m not underestimating him at all. I can’t sleep in there, I can’t get careless. I want to look good in this fight.

“I’m younger than he is. I’ve been in bigger fights, obviously. I’m a world champion. And I have the perfect style for a brawler. I have a great jab, I throw body shots, I have hand speed, I feel my defense is underestimated.

“I have all the things in my arsenal to looking amazing in there.”

If he wins?

The WBC will likely require him to face Yildirim, who was supposed to have been his opponent in April but was injured and replaced by Angulo before the pandemic put boxing on hold. The Turk is only a solid fighter, probably no better than Angulo, meaning a victory wouldn’t mean much.

That’s where Benavidez’s patience will have to come in. If he keeps winning, regardless of the opponent, the big fights will come.

The first one might be a title-unification showdown with Plant, a talented, unbeaten 28-year-old with whom Benavidez seems to be building an out-of-the-ring rivalry. Then, if things continue to go well, Benavidez will set his sights on arguably the biggest prize in the sport, Alvarez.

That is if the Mexican superstar is interested. Alvarez and his team have considered a long list of potential opponents – including some super middleweights – for his next fight but, evidently, Benavidez’s name wasn’t on it. He said he never received a feeler of any kind.

Why? We can only speculate.

“Plant got an offer, [Callum] Smith got an offer, [Billy Joe] Sanders got an offer. I haven’t even been in the discussion even though I’ve called him out. I don’t know why they wouldn’t want to give me the fight now.

“I can say this, though: If they don’t give it to me [soon], I’m going to be more dangerous a year or two years from now. Every year I’m going to get more experience, I’m going to get stronger, I’m going to get better. I’ll be ready whenever they give me the opportunity.

“As I said, I’m not going anywhere.”

Benavidez’s plan is to keep winning, to keep climbing until he has leverage similar to Alvarez’s, where everyone wants to fight him because of the money and exposure involved. The next step is a victory over Angulo.

[lawrence-related id=7072,6918,6276,6118]