Top trainer Robert Garcia has considered a potential clash between Andy Ruiz Jr and David Benavidez, whose father and trainer is keen for their heavyweight showdown to eventually take place.
Having previously expressed his interest in joining the land of the giants, Benavidez, too, would likely be eager to face Ruiz, who is coming off a unanimous decision defeat to Damian Knyba.
The Mexican-American made his eagerly-awaited comeback last month, ending over two years of inactivity that followed his controversial draw with Jarrell Miller.
But while he was heavily favoured to defeat Knyba, the former unified world champion suffered a seventh-round knockdown and ultimately lost convincingly on points.
Benavidez, on the other hand, is coming off arguably a career-best performance against Gilberto Ramirez, who he dethroned with a sixth-round finish for the WBO and WBA titles in May.
As a result, ‘The Mexican Monster’ became a three-division world champion and is now targeting a unification match with WBC cruiserweight champion Michal Cieslak, who he is expected to face on either December 5 or December 19.
Then, as far as Jose Benavidez Sr is concerned, the 29-year-old is likely to move up to heavyweight after colliding with Jai Opetaia in 2027.
Speaking with ProBox TV, Benavidez Sr outlined this plan and, in response, fellow coach Garcia immediately expressed his enthusiasm.
“[Benavidez] fighting someone like Andy would be unbelievable, man. What a fight it would be. We know Andy’s gonna be there to fight, but Benavidez is just unbelievable: his speed, his combinations, throwing so many punches.
“I think he’d be a little bit too much for Andy … but Andy’s a solid heavyweight. He’s already there, he’s strong – if he takes the punch, Benavidez could be in trouble. Man, I would love to see that fight.”
While Ruiz would certainly make for an intriguing opponent, it must be said that the 37-year-old looks a far cry from the ‘Destroyer’ that stopped Anthony Joshua in seven rounds.
