“The Mexican Monster” in the UK? Sampson Lewkowicz, who promotes unbeaten light heavyweight warrior David Benavidez, has told The Ring that a fight between the reigning WBC 175 pound champ and Britain’s Callum Smith could take place in Liverpool, with Las Vegas and Dallas also being possible locations for the fight.
Eddie Hearn recently stated that an offer has been received from PBC and that Smith and the team are looking at the fight. Lewkowicz said a deal is getting closer, the fight to possibly take place in October. In addition, Lewkowicz says a fight between Benavidez and another British fighter, Anthony Yarde, is also possible.
“Ready to Go to England”—Benavidez’s UK Warpath
“It’s not easy to find the right guy to fight Benavidez,” Lewkowicz said. “We’re also ready to go to England to fight Smith if the deal is right. Either fight [Smith or Yarde] is a good fight for boxing. We’ll see what happens. At this moment, there are two excellent challengers but it’s not up to me, PBC or David Benavidez. It’s up to Eddie Hearn if he wants to make the deal. We’re one call away.”
Yarde is promoted by Frank Warren, so that fight is nothing to do with Hearn, but maybe Warren likes the idea of Benavidez invading the UK to take on a British star. Either way, either fight is, as Lewkowicz says, good for boxing. And again, for the British boxing fans it would be great to have Benavidez, 30-0(24) and one of the most exciting and ferocious fighters in the sport right now, operating in the UK.
Smith vs. Yarde—Which Brit Will Fall to “The Monster”?
Smith, 31-2(22) looked good in his last fight, when he decisioned Joshua Buatsi in a slugfest, while Yarde 27-3(24) was less entertaining to watch in his last fight, this when he decisioned Lyndon Arthur in their trilogy fight.
Benavidez, who would bring the heat in a fight with either Brit, also won on points in his last outing, this when he won a commanding decision over David Morrell in a good action fight in February.
Let’s hope Hearn or Warren can make a deal here, with either Smith or Yarde getting a date with Benavidez—be it in the UK, or in the US.