Breaking: The WBC To Order Cruiserweight Champion Noel Mikaelian to Fight David Benavidez

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Hours after Lance Pugmire of Boxing Scene broke the news that WBC cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian (28-3, 12 KOs) and Ring Magazine champion Jai Opetaia (30-0, 23 KOs) were finalizing a deal to fight in the fall, FightsATW was told that the WBC (which they posted shortly after) has ordered Mikaelian to face David Benavidez (32-0, 26 KOs) next.

Earlier today, the Boxing Scene story spoke about Opetaia vs. Mikaelian and reported that Benavidez was “locked in” on making the fight with Canelo Alvarez. Then, sources told FightsATW that a mandatory was on the verge of being issued by the WBC for Mikaelian to fight Benavidez.

FightsATW has learned that the WBC told Badou Jack and Mikaelian that the winner of their fight would then have two mandatories. Six months have passed since Mikaelian won the title, and there has been no announcement of him fighting anyone. The WBC looked into the matter, but apparently, there are ongoing issues between Mikaelian and his promoter, Don King, that continue to interfere with signing his next fight. The WBC received a letter from Benavidez’s promoter requesting that his fighter face Mikaelian for the WBC title. The WBC then voted in favor of ordering Mikaelian’s mandatory defense to be against Benavidez.

This now leads to a big decision for Mikaelian and his promoter, Don King. Do you vacate the WBC title and fight Opetaia anyway, or do you bypass the Ring title and move forward with a three-belt unification fight against David Benavidez? If Opetaia can’t get this fight, does he then face one of the three fighters ranked in the top five of the Ring rankings who are signed to Zuffa so he can keep his title? This one is messy, but whatever decision Mikaelian and his team make will have to be made soon, as that order will not last forever.

Abraham Gonzalez

Abraham Gonzalez is a 2x award-winning writer, International Boxing Hall of Fame voter, founder and publisher of FightsATW. His journalistic work has been published and used across several platforms, including online, network TV, and promotional companies. He is an alumnus of an American Public University and a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). Abraham was the Managing Editor for NYFights, Big Fight Weekend, and contributed to The Ring Magazine, FanSidedMMA, and ProBoxTV.

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