David Benavidez, Dmitry Bivol, and Artur Beterbiev seem to be in a Mexican standoff. And now, $8 million is at stake, making what happens next especially interesting. The drama started taking root earlier this month when the WBC ordered the 34-year-old Russian boxer to defend his belt against the mandatory challenger David Benavidez.

While there’s no denying that it’s one of the biggest potential fights, things didn’t look too good for that fight. The architect of the Riyadh Season Turki Alalshikh, who had funded the two Bivol vs. Beterbiev fights, explicitly expressed disinterest in making the Bivol-Benavidez fight. Instead, he wanted to put together a rubber match between Beterbiev and Bivol.

Then rumors started circulating that Bivol and Benavidez were close to signing a deal for their WBC-ordered bout. However, later reports revealed that the rumors were blown way out of proportion, confirming that the fight was nowhere near closing in on a deal. This could mean two things. Either Bivol fights Benavidez first to defend his title and keep it by defeating Benavidez. Or, Bivol gets stripped of the title by the WBC for refusing to fight his mandatory. Amid this tug-of-war, Bivol has found himself in, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman seems to have shed light on an $8 million incentive for the undisputed light heavyweight champion. While appearing in an interview with Tha Boxing Voice recently, Sulaiman had a lot to say.

When asked whether ‘The Mexican Monster’ would be elevated to full WBC champion if Bivol vacates the title instead of facing him, or if he would need to fight for the belt, the WBC President explained, “It’s a WBC ruling. And it is the custom, usually. When an interim champion, the champion leaves the championship, he becomes the champion.” 

“But it’s a ruling that the WBC has to make and it is specific. As I said, the WBC has been consistent with this ruling for two years,” he continued. Later, reflecting on the possibility of Bivol vacating the title, Mauricio Sulaiman added, “Bivol made 2.7 million in the rematch against Beterbiev. And now, he’s being offered 8 million to fight Benavidez. So it’s a great opportunity for Bivol as well.”

It’s unclear whether $8 million can persuade the undisputed light heavyweight champion to fight Benavidez, leaving His Excellency behind. Regardless, Benavidez’s promoter seems ready to jump into action to make the Bivol-Benavidez fight. 

Sampson Lewkowicz brands Turki Alalshikh a rookie while talking about Dmitry Bivol vs. David Benavidez

Sampson Lewkowicz didn’t hold back when addressing Turki Alalshikh’s lack of interest in making Dmitry Bivol vs. David Benavidez. With Benavidez, Lewkowicz remains confident in securing the fight, even if it goes to a purse bid. “Trust me that I’m well prepared with PBC to get [the fight] because over here in America, we can do partnership with them in Las Vegas,” Lewkowicz said.

However, Alalshikh’s dismissal of the matchup frustrated him. “He’s a rookie in boxing,” Lewkowicz fired back. “He’s not the face of boxing [and] that is another mistake that he made.” Lewkowicz doubled down on his belief that boxing’s heart remains in the U.S., saying, “Boxing is a family, and what is best for the family is America. It’s not Saudi. That doesn’t bring champions.”

It appears the Dmitry Bivol vs. David Benavidez situation is starting to show the cracks in the relationship between His Excellency Turki Alalshikh and US-based promoters. It’s unclear what Bivol will do next, but his next step will reveal who will win the Mexican standoff and the tug of war. What are your thoughts on the matter?