David Benavidez loses title on the scale, what’s next?

David Benavidez came in well overweight for his WBC super-middleweight title defense against Roamer Alexis Angulo. His title is gone. What’s next? 

David Benavidez was the WBC super-middleweight champion headed into the weigh-in for his Saturday, Aug. 15 defense against Roamer Alexis Angulo, but he lost the title before either threw a punch.

The day before the fight, Benavidez weighed in at 170. 8 pounds, almost 3 pounds over the 168-pound limit. According to Benavidez, while talking to the Morning Kombat team, he tried before the weigh-in to cut the weight but couldn’t shed any more pounds.

“I put the blame on myself,” Benavidez told Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell. “The last three pounds wouldn’t come off. Not having the proper things I need, maybe a sauna. I was only able to go to the gym for an hour a day here since I got here. It was just a couple of different things. Obviously, I’m very disappointed.”

Benavidez vs. Angulo will go on as planned, but Angulo is the only boxer that can win the WBC belt. Benavidez lost that opportunity. He’s fighting to keep his undefeated record intact, so he has a chance at lucrative bouts down the line.

Benavidez (22-0, 19 KOs) has a history of unreliable discipline. He lost his WBC title in September of 2018 after testing positive for Benzoylecgonine, which usually indicates cocaine use. He defeated Anthony Dirrell almost a year later to regain his belt.

This is a devastating outcome for Benavidez’s reputation and career. It calls his dedication to boxing into further question. The 23-year-old Benavidez has an abundance of talent, but he’s proving to be his own worst enemy.

What’s David Benavidez’s next move if he defeats Roamer Alexis Angulo?

He needs to win against Angulo (26-1, 22 KOs) if he wants to start towards the path of redemption after his latest debacle. A loss could permanently stall or extinguish his career.

If Benavidez hadn’t missed weight and retained his title against Angulo, his next bout would have been against mandatory challenger Avni Yildirim. At least he doesn’t have to waste his time with an undesirable match.

If Benavidez defeats Angulo, he could look to challenge one of the current super middleweight champions for their titles. He recently told FanSided that he wants to fight IBF champion Caleb Plant the most.

“The fight that I want the most is Caleb Plant,” Benavidez told FanSided. “That’s the one I want the most. That’s the one I feel like a lot of boxing fans are excited to see.”

Benavidez vs. Plant is a megafight but would take time to make. It likely wouldn’t occur until late 2021. Also, who knows if Benavidez can make 168 pounds again. His days as a super middleweight might be over.

Benavidez could move to light heavyweight, but it’s a move he didn’t plan to make. He has a big frame at 6-foot-2 but needs to test those waters before fully diving in.

Benavidez is young and has time to learn from his mistakes, but his errors are becoming a troubling trend. Time will tell if Benavidez continues to hurt himself.

David Benavidez and Roamer Alexis Angulo meet on Saturday, Aug. 15, on Showtime at 9 p.m. ET.