David Benavidez is a risk-taker. Not a swashbuckler but a thinker, drawn to calculated risks. Once an overweight kid, he defied odds and laced up, dreaming about boxing glory. A throwback to the golden Mexican style, the Arizona-born champion has gained widespread recognition for his controlled aggression. Early in February, announcing his arrival in the light heavyweight big league, he outboxed David Morrell.

On November 22, Benavidez will face the heavy-hitting Anthony Yarde on the Night of the Champions card in Riyadh. However, while preparing for it, David Benavidez seems to have set his sights on a journey beyond the upcoming battle. Willing to take his career to the next level, he may likely travel solo, sans promoters Al Haymon and Sam Lewkowicz. It might be something akin to what rival Canelo or Floyd Mayweather did many summers ago.

David Benavidez – The fearless climb toward greatness

During an interview with Marcos Villegas, David Benavidez spilled the tea on his future moves. He confirmed that he is still officially signed with PBC and is working with Al Haymon and Sampson Lewkowicz. He viewed Al Haymon as a father figure in his career. But he also clarified. He’s not being held back from spreading his wings.

Benavidez stated, “Al Haymon told me that he was not gonna stop my momentum, you know. He said that there was an opportunity with Riyadh Season with Turki Alalshikh, and you know, I think this is something that everybody’s doing.”

He was rather grateful to both Haymon and Sampson Lewkowicz for allowing him to explore new pastures. So, David Benavidez explained to Fight Hub TV, “We’re still together, but like I said, I want to be—I want to have my own promotion company one day. I want to make my own moves just like Mayweather, Canelo, and all those guys are doing. You know, we did what we did for about 10 years, you know what I mean? And I’m grateful for him, and, you know, we’re just going to finish our contract and then go to the next step.”

For the record, David Benavidez and Sampson Lewkowicz have been together since 2015. They joined hands sometime after the champion made his professional debut at age 16.

Ambition in overdrive, everything on the line

Only starfighters who have the name and the money to back it can afford to go independent. Others still need the support of the promotional infrastructure. So, considering where he sits in the boxing hierarchy, David Benavidez may have felt the time was ripe for a bold initiative.

Since the win over Caleb Plant, Benavidez has steadily upended his game. His resume now includes names like former middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade and Olympic bronze medalist and WBC light heavyweight title holder (former) Oleksandr Gvozdyk.

To allay lingering doubts over his 175-pound aspirations, he took on a powerful and determined contender like David Morrell Jr. David Benavidez scraped through twelve rounds of slugfest and won. It was hard to ignore his call-out.

Hardly anyone doubts Benavidez’s ambitions to become an undisputed champion. Most expect him to win the November 22 scrap. So perhaps a victory would finally lure Beterbiev or former sparring partner Bivol for a historic meetup. But as he stated, he might be writing his own script.

What are your views on David Benavidez potentially leaving the PBC stable?