New Year's Resolutions for Boxing: David Benavidez to challenge a cruiserweight and heavyweight

Over the weekend, David Benavidez took to his Instagram account and shared a throwback photo of himself and Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez as teenagers. The caption read “From sparring since I was 16 years old to now a professional fight! God is good!”

Benavidez, the WBC light heavyweight world titleholder, will move up to challenge for Ramirez’s WBA and WBO unified cruiserweight world championship this year.

That brings us to DAZN News’ fifth New Year’s Resolution for boxing in 2026.

For David Benavidez to challenge a cruiserweight and heavyweight champion in the same year

Queensberry/Leigh Dawney

It is a lofty goal but hear us out. If Benavidez (31-0, 25 KOs) successfully makes the transition from 175 pounds to 200 pounds and carries the extra weight well in a convincing win over ‘Zurdo', then who’s to say he cannot move up to heavyweight? Benavidez already successfully climbed from being a two-time super middleweight champion to being crowned at light heavyweight.

If he snatches two titles at cruiserweight with a win over Ramirez, Benavidez might want to remain in the division to aim for undisputed glory or drop back down to light heavyweight to line up a mega bout with unified champ Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed crown there. Both options would be enticing.

But if he is able to defeat Ramirez handily — especially if he becomes the first man to produce a stoppage against the durable ‘Zurdo’ — then vying for a heavyweight title would be as intriguing of an option as well.

At 6-foot-2, Benavidez has the frame to carry the extra weight. After all, Murat Gassiev stands at the identical height and defeated a larger Kubrat Pulev last month to become the new WBA (Regular) heavyweight titleholder, successfully making the climb up from cruiserweight.

With a machine-like work rate and deep bag of punches at his disposal, Benavidez is capable of doing the same. What he might lack in one-punch knockout power, he more than makes up for with punishing, unrelenting volume. Benavidez punches fighters into shadows of themselves, pummeling them on points or to referees often stepping in to show them some mercy.

It is part of what makes the undefeated 29-year-old a pound-for-pound star and compelling force as perhaps boxing’s best switch hitter.

All these attributes make the prospect of Benavidez segueing from cruiserweight to heavyweight possible.

How he fares first against ‘Zurdo’ will be a telling sign … and we could take it from there to see if 'The Mexican Monster' could roam with the monsters of the heavyweight division.

Making these moves in daring to be even greater could skyrocket Benavidez's fighting profile from boxing star to the possible face of the sport.

If anyone is going to do it in a single year, Benavidez can, making Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence Day weekends his in the process.

Sign up for DAZN Ultimate Tier to get PPVs included in your subscription 

Subscribe to DAZN's new Ultimate Tier to get a minimum of 12 PPV events included per year, including Lopez vs. Stevenson, on top of another 185 fight nights. Plus Serie A football, watch on multiple devices, and many more extra benefits.

Sign up for £22.99 in the UK / $44.99 in the U.S. More details here.