‘Russian Canelo’: Sampson Lewkowicz expects Dmitry Bivol to continually duck David Benavidez

With David Benavidez lined up to take on Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez for a cruiserweight title in the coming year, one of Benavidez’s longtime promoters in Sampson Lewkowicz explains in a press release that Benavidez is thrilled for the opportunity and says he’s not going to sit around and wait for an opportunity against Canelo Alvarez. Lewkowicz says they’ve previously made a substantial offer to Dmitry Bivol for the Benavidez fight, but that was quickly turned down which led to a change in direction for the time being.

“After waiting so long for Canelo Alvarez, only to have him avoid us at all costs, David will wait for no one ever again,” said Lewkowicz. “We offered Bivol $8 million to face David last year, and he chose to vacate the WBC title a day before a scheduled purse bid rather than face him. Beterbiev is coming off a loss, so other than money, he brings nothing to table. Besides, David wanted the winner of rematch, not the loser. David would stop Beterbiev. No doubt in my mind and has already dropped Bivol with headgear and big gloves. David is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, but he won’t talk about it. He will show it, fight after fight.”

Lewkowicz would then add that Benavidez is still in prime position in the light heavyweight division with assurances that he’ll get an order to face the Bivol vs Beterbiev winner after a prospective rubber match, but fully expects Bivol to duck the fight once more when the time comes.

“The WBA has guaranteed us that David is the mandatory for the Bivol/Beterbiev winner,” he added. “Bivol will have to act like a ‘Russian Canelo’ and vacate another title to avoid facing David. He doesn’t want to fight because he knows when they sparred, David put a beating on him and dropped him. He has zero chance of beating David. That I promise you. He has no power to keep David off him, and he will take a brutal beating!”

In the meanwhile Benavidez will have his shot to win a world title in a new division when he takes on Ramirez, although his aspirations likely won’t keep him in the cruiserweight division for long.