David Benavidez isn’t concerned with Canelo Alvarez at the moment. He’ll be exchanging blows with someone else on Saturday.
The former two-time super middleweight titleholder faces late replacement Kyrone Davis in front of his hometown fans at Footprint Center in Phoenix — on Showtime — a week after Alvarez stopped Caleb Plant to become undisputed champion.
Benavidez is leading candidate to face Alvarez next, probably in May.
“I’m not thinking about Canelo,” Benavidez said during the final news conference before Saturday’s fight. “I’m just thinking about Kyrone Davis. I’m excited to give my fans a good show. I worked extremely hard for this fight and trained like it was for a world title.
“I’m ready for whoever they want to give me to fight next.”
Benavidez (24-0, 21 KOs) is happy just to be fighting on Saturday.
His original opponent, Jose Uzcategui, was pulled from the show after he allegedly tested positive for a banned substance. Davis, who had been sparring with Terence Crawford, was able to step in to save the event.
Benavidez had been looking forward to fighting Uzcategui, who Plant defeated to win the title he lost to Alvarez. However, he was also excited about his homecoming. He hasn’t fought in Phoenix since 2015.
Plus, his older brother, Jose Benavidez Jr., is fighting on the card. The elder Benavidez faces Francisco Emanuel Torres.
“It means the world to our whole family to be here in this position,” David Benavidez said. “I spent most of my childhood at Central Boxing Gym (which is two miles from the arena). The first mural out there was of my brother and I said that I wanted to be up there next.
“It’s really motivating knowing that Phoenix has our backs.”
None of the above means that he has lost focus on Davis, who he respects.
Davis (16-2-1, 6 KOs) made a statement this past February, when he drew with former champ Anthony Dirrell in Los Angeles. Benavidez stopped Dirrell in nine rounds to win the WBC belt for a second time, after which he lost it on the scale.
Benavidez, who has stopped his last four opponents, plans to do to Davis what he did to Dirrell.
“I’ve had a tremendous training camp this time around,” he said. “Hats off to Kyrone Davis for stepping up to the plate and taking this fight. I’m on a knockout streak and I’m keeping it going Saturday night. The fans want to see knockouts and that’s what I want to give them.”
He went on: “Once opponents feel my pressure, they realize it’s a whole different type of power. I want to see how he’s going to react to the power, combinations and speed. I’m going to keep doing what I do best and have fun.”
And then, if things go well, he can shift his attention to a certain Mexican superstar.
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