For the second time in under three years, David Benavidez lost the WBC super middleweight title outside the ring, having badly missed weight ahead of this past weekend’s mauling of Roamer Alexis Angulo. Though the sanctioning body ordered Canelo Alvarez to face mandatory challenger Avni Yildirim for the vacant belt, “El Bandera Roja” still wants his name in the mix. His promoter, Sampsom Lewkowicz, has petitioned Mauricio Sulaiman and co. to reinstate him in the 168-pound rankings.
In case that image isn’t showing up for you, Lewkowicz argues that Benavidez (23-0, 20 KO) entered fight week at his usual weight, but lacked the resources in the “bubble” to cut the final few pounds and make 168; he specifically notes that Benavidez had just one hour per day to access a treadmill.
While the onus was on Lewkowicz and Benavidez to learn beforehand what sort of amenities they’d have access to and adjust their preparation accordingly, the explanation at least makes sense. Considering the WBC allowed Luis Nery to keep his spot in their rankings after losing their bantamweight belt on the scale, there’s no reason not to extend Benavidez the same courtesy.