‘Interim’ WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez is days away from his fight against WBA (Regular) light heavyweight champion David Morrell in Las Vegas. However, before competing in the 175 pounds division, both boxers were in the super middleweight division. At one point, Benavidez was even the WBC super middleweight champion.

So, the question is, without losing a fight how did ‘The Mexican Monster’ get separated from his belt, which currently super middleweight king Canelo Alvarez has wrapped around his waist? Well, the answer is pretty interesting, and it might be difficult to believe for some, but losing the belt was Benavidez’s fault.

Was David Benavidez stripped of his WBC title? 

In September 2018, David Benavidez found himself in a difficult situation when he tested positive for benzoylecgonine, the primary metabolite of cocaine, following a random drug test conducted by VADA as part of the WBC’s Clean Boxing Initiative. The WBC mandates that its champions undergo random testing, and for Benavidez, this policy proved to be his undoing.

As a result, the WBC stripped him of his super middleweight title and handed down a suspension until February of the following year. Benavidez had initially claimed the belt in 2017 with a hard-fought victory over Ronald Gavril, successfully defending it in a rematch before it was taken away.

Benavidez made his comeback in 2019, facing J’Leon Love, and later reclaimed the WBC title by defeating Anthony Dirrell, who came to possess it by defeating Avni Yildirim for the then-vacant strap. But Benavidez’s reunion with the belt was short-lived. Another misstep would soon follow, one that would sever his connection to the title for good. What was this costly mistake?

David Benavidez loses his title again!

David Benavidez lost his WBC super middleweight title a second time, but this one was on the scales. Ahead of his fight against Roamer Alexis Angulo at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, Benavidez weighed in 2.8 pounds over the 168-pound limit. While the fight still went as planned, only Angulo is eligible to win the title, leaving Benavidez ineligible to retain it, even with a victory.

Luckily for Benavidez, he did not lose the fight, so the title didn’t fall into Roamer’s hands. However, Benavidez had to part ways with the strap for good. He admitted that despite trying to shed the extra weight in the days leading up to the weigh-in, his body simply shut down, and he made the decision not to push further. In 2020, Canelo Alvarez defeated Callum Smith to collect the WBC strap and it remains with him to this day.

That being said, on both occasions, it was David Benavidez’s mistakes that cost him the belt. While he did manage to secure the ‘Interim’ version of the title, the WBC never required Canelo Alvarez to defend his title against Benavidez. What are your thoughts on the errors Benavidez made?