“That date doesn’t belong to one fighter,” Benavidez said. “It’s for the [boxers] who give the best fights. I want them to never forget the date and the event, to make it long-lasting.”
The cruiserweight move supports that ambition. Benavidez already holds a light heavyweight title and continues to call for Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev at 175lbs. He remains open to Alvarez, but only at light heavyweight. Heavyweight talk, which he continues to dismiss, is something he says could come years down the line. His focus remains on strengthening his position in divisions where he believes he can dominate now.
At 29, he says he walks around at roughly 205lbs with nearly 10 weeks remaining before the Prime Video pay-per-view fight in Las Vegas. He described the move from 175lbs to cruiserweight as a major physical adjustment, but also acknowledged the benefit of not draining himself during camp. “It’s nice knowing that I don’t need to focus on losing weight,” he said. “I’m expecting the best version of myself.”
There is also familiarity with Ramirez. Jose Benavidez Snr said the two shared extensive sparring over several years, estimating roughly 100 sessions that often stretched eight to 10 rounds. He warned against underestimating the southpaw. “Don’t let him trick you. People say he’s slow, but he’s accurate,” Benavidez Snr said. “He’s very hittable, but we’ve got to find him. He’s not heavy-handed, so we can take some risks. The key is punches, punches, punches.”
Few fighters are operating across boxing’s fractured landscape the way Benavidez is. He fought Anthony Yarde on a Saudi-backed card connected to Turki Alalshikh. He is now facing a Golden Boy-promoted fighter while aligned with Premier Boxing Champions. He continues to mention Bivol, Beterbiev, and Alvarez without drawing promotional lines. That willingness strengthens his claim to headline a weekend traditionally reserved for one star.
A decisive win over Ramirez would change the conversation around Cinco de Mayo. Instead of revolving around who Alvarez selects, attention would shift to who consistently delivers the strongest event on that weekend. Benavidez believes activity and aggression can anchor that shift.
He says he is charting his own path. If he wins and produces the kind of fight his team is promising, control of the date may become less about tradition and more about performance.
