Stevenson praises Benavidez after Ramirez win and calls for Bivol fight
Shakur Stevenson reacted to David Benavidez’s stoppage win by calling for a fight with Dmitry Bivol. He made the comment after Benavidez stopped Gilberto Ramirez in Las Vegas.
“Benavidez is everything he says he is, much respect to him and his craft. I would love to see Bivol get back healthy 100 percent and make that fight,” said Shakur on X.
It’s a glaring omission from Shakur not mentioning Jai Opetaia as an option for Benavidez’s next fight. The math on Bivol doesn’t add up for anyone wanting a fight this year. Between the back surgery recovery and the Artur Beterbiev trilogy, Bivol is effectively off the board until 2027 at the earliest.
The reason Benavidez isn’t chomping at the bit for Opetaia, and why Shakur might be looking past him, really comes down to a mix of promotional walls and some very convenient belt logic.
Benavidez has been incredibly blunt about the Zuffa wall. After the Zurdo win, he flat out said, “I’m not gonna go over there and fight for a Zuffa title.” He’s presenting it as a refusal to play in Dana White’s sandbox, claiming Zuffa doesn’t want to work with PBC or DAZN. It’s a convenient shield because it allows him to avoid the most dangerous man at 200 lbs while blaming politics.
Benavidez is also using the IBF’s decision to strip Opetaia as an excuse. He told Ring Magazine that the “ship has sailed” now that Opetaia doesn’t have that specific belt. He’s arguing that without the IBF title, the fight doesn’t help him toward becoming undisputed, so it’s not worth the risk.
Even though Benavidez looked great at cruiserweight, he still holds the WBC belt at light heavyweight. By keeping his focus on Bivol, even a Bivol that won’t be ready for a year, he keeps his foot in the door for a massive payday at 175 lbs without having to face the physical buzzsaw that is Opetaia right now.
It’s the classic boxing duck wrapped in corporate red tape. Benavidez spent years complaining about Canelo’s hurdles, but now he’s using those exact same hurdles, networks, sanctioning bodies, and promotional lanes to keep Opetaia at arm’s length.