David Benavidez has admitted to being somewhat concerned about a potential clash between Deontay Wilder and Jai Opetaia, given that the outcome could scupper his plans for Cinco de Mayo weekend in 2027.
According to multiple reports, Opetaia could feature on the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua undercard and make his heavyweight debut at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
In other words, the Australian may end up fighting on December 11 against former WBC champion Wilder, who is coming off a split decision victory over fellow veteran Derek Chisora in April.
Opetaia, meanwhile, secured a ninth-round stoppage of Noel Mikaelian last month, before going face-to-face with cruiserweight rival Benavidez shortly after.
The pair then verbally agreed to lock horns in May of next year, with Benavidez seemingly willing to defend his world titles against the former two-time IBF champion.
With Opetaia potentially gearing up to face Wilder, however, their encounter at 200lbs could be extinguished by a single right hand from the ‘Bronze Bomber’.
Speaking with Last Stand Podcast, Benavidez acknowledged the power of Wilder who, even at 40 years old, is still considered one of the biggest punchers at heavyweight.
“I don’t want Jai to fight Wilder. With Wilder, he has that right hand. And it’s fast.
“He only has that one shot, but it’s fast. And Opetaia surprised me in his last fight, because he got hurt like four times. And Mikaelian is super slow.
“Opetaia is not a slick fighter that doesn’t get hit – he gets hit a lot. And Wilder’s a world-class [puncher]. If you give him the opportunity, he’s going to find that right hand. You can say whatever you want about Wilder, but he still has that cannon.”
As his Cinco de Mayo fight with Opetaia hangs in the balance, Benavidez is set to face WBC champion Michal Cieslak in a three-belt unification match this December.
