Benavidez can beat Julio Cesar Gonzalez, but not Virgil Hill and Adonis Stevenson. But I'm pretty sure Benavidez is superior than some light heavyweight champion who are D/C or very little B champions such like : Tavoris Cloud (little B), Jurgen Braehmer (little B), Gabriel Campillo (D champion?) , Julio Cesar Gonzalez (C ) , Beibut Shumenov (Little B), Slobodan Kacar (C) and Zsolt Erdei (B). Virgil Hill is a solid B and Adonis Stevenson prime is a solid A champion in Light Heavyweight.
I'm confident he beats Gonzalez and I think he has a very strong chance against Stevenson. Hill was an outstanding boxer that was pretty durable except for the Jones fight later in his career. I think Hill could beat him on points with that jab. I think Ward would handle him.
He’d beat Gonzalez. Stevenson actually moved up from 168lbs himself and was a small 175lbs, so I would t count out Benavidez wearing him down, but he’s also square on and could walk onto the left. Ward schools him. Hill is a close fight, Benavidez may outwork him, but Hill’s jab could also win it, I’m not sure.