David Benavidez vs Demetrius Andrade is being planned for the fall, which you probably already knew, and in case you were wondering, yes, it will be another PBC and Showtime pay-per-view, according to Mike Coppinger at ESPN.com.
This shouldn’t really come as a surprise, even if it’s increasingly exasperating to keep reaching into your pocket for more and more pay-per-view money just to follow the sport. Benavidez’s March win over Caleb Plant did stronger than anticipated numbers, and once a guy gets on pay-per-view, it’s really hard to talk them back off of it if they won the last time out.
Currently, PBC has Canelo vs Charlo set for PPV on Sept. 30, and it’s expected that Keith Thurman vs Yordenis Ugas will be finalized for PPV the fall, too. If Gervonta Davis fights again by the end of the year, that’s a guaranteed PPV, and if a potential Crawford vs Spence 2 fight comes before the year is out, that’s another one. And there could be others packed into the last few months of 2023, not even counting whatever potential PPVs come from DAZN or ESPN/Top Rank.
Bet on Canelo vs Charlo and more boxing with DraftKings Sportsbook!
Benavidez (27-0, 23 KO) has the interim WBC title at 168 lbs, and won a clear decision over Plant on Mar. 25 in Las Vegas. The 26-year-old is hoping to get a fight with Canelo Alvarez next year, which is certainly no guarantee, but the more people harp on Canelo for not fighting him, the more likely it may be, because Canelo tends to get annoyed by things like that.
But that’s not to totally count out the 35-year-old Andrade (32-0, 19 KO), who has had one of boxing’s most frustrating careers over the last 15 years, for both himself and for fans. The Rhode Island native has won world titles at 154 and 160 but never gotten what you’d really call a “big fight,” due to a combination of his prowess and style in the ring, and just not being a box office attraction.
Andrade made his 168 lb debut with PBC in January, routing veteran gatekeeper Demond Nicholson over 10 rounds, but said after the fight he wasn’t entirely comfortable at the weight. That can change, of course, with more training at and for that weight and just time making him more comfortable.
This fight is pretty much do-or-die for Andrade in a sense of being the star he’s always wanted to be and, in some ways, had the potential to be. And for Benavidez, it’ll be must-win to keep the Canelo hope alive. Maybe he can even impress Alvarez by finally being the guy to eliminate Demetrius Andrade from The Canelo Orbit.