Ultimately sheer grit and determination prevailed. As he crossed paths with ‘The Mexican Monster,’ David Morrell‘s southpaw savvy hit the wall. It’s often said the difference between winning and losing boils down to how badly you want to succeed. On Saturday night, David Benavidez proved that his thirst for greatness overshadowed Morrell’s eagerness to remain triumphant.

The fight seems to have helped Benavidez gain more than just legacy and the belts. There’s an added bonus. The Morrell clash was a title eliminator. The winner of the match will get a chance to face either Artur Beterbiev or Dmitry Bivol, who will meet on February 22. So in all likelihood, Benavidez might be focused on the outcome of the two light heavyweight giants’ rematch. More so, the prospect could help him kill two birds with one stone.

David Benavidez: From Bivol to Canelo

On ‘The Ariel Helwani Show,’ David Benavidez shared his insights on the recent fight and upcoming prospects, especially in light of the upcoming legendary Beterbiev-Bivol showdown. He sounded quite confident about a potential matchup, especially against Bivol, whom he had sparred with in the past.

However, the chances of a trilogy or rubber match between the two bothered Benavidez. Helwani couldn’t disagree either. Benavidez then revealed that he might be visiting Saudi Arabia to see the fight and weigh in on his options. If given a choice, Ariel Helwani nevertheless asked who he would prefer for a matchup – Beterbiev or Bivol. It’s something many fans would love to hear.

“To be honest with you, I would pick Bivol,” Benavidez replied. Why? “Because Bivol beat Canelo, so basically when I beat Bivol, you know that that would make my case better than Canelo,” he added further. For context, on May 7, 2022, Bivol thwarted Canelo Alvarez‘s plans to dominate the 175 pounds by inflicting a second career loss.

Undoubtedly, a fight between David Benavidez and Dmitry Bivol will be a thriller to the core. But what happens if Beterbiev extends his triumphant reign? Will Benavidez challenge the Russian-Canadian champion?

A well-calculated move

On second thoughts, Benavidez’s contention does make some sense. Reports suggest Alvarez and Terence Crawford will finally get an opportunity to dance potentially by September. Once David Benavidez wraps up his business against Bivol or, for that matter, even Beterbiev, then as the new undisputed champion, he could make a compelling argument to demand a fight from the Mexican superstar.

However, with the victory over Morrell, and based on the outcome of a potential fight against Bivol or Beterbiev, Alvarez could possibly consider Benavidez’s contention. If at that stage he continues to deny Benavidez a fight, then many fans may endorse Jose Benavidez Sr.‘s suggestion. Given what David Benavidez could do inside the ring, perhaps, Benavidez Sr. opined, Alvarez might be reluctant to take a fight with his son.

Either way, after the Crawford fight, if there’s a fight fans would love to watch, it’s the one involving Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez. For the time being, though, they will have to wait and watch how the February 22 event concludes. Do you agree with David Benavidez’s approach? Let us know your thoughts.