The backlash carries extra force because Benavidez previously pushed the Opetaia fight several years down the line. Abraham Gonzalez named December 12 for the Cieślak bout and said discussions continue for Benavidez to meet the winner of Opetaia’s September 12 clash with Noel Mikaelian.
Before stopping Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez in May, Benavidez told Ariel Helwani that he and Opetaia had the basic pieces in place for a meeting. He then stated that the fight had been delayed by “one or two years.”
Benavidez gave an even longer timetable in April after Opetaia was stripped of the IBF title:
“That ship has kinda
