One person who doesn’t see Kyrone Davis as a stepping stone for David Benavidez is Kyrone Davis.
Benavidez, a former two-time super middleweight titleholder, is a heavy favorite to defeat Davis on Showtime Saturday night from Footprint Center in Phoenix. Davis took the fight on two weeks’ notice after Jose Uzcategui allegedly tested positive for a banned substance and will be doing battle in Benavidez’s hometown.
Tough assignment? Davis doesn’t seem fazed.
“Sometimes with stepping-stones, you trip,” he said during the final news conference before the fight. “We’ve seen it happen plenty of times. My job is to make sure Saturday night isn’t his night. I’m looking to have a good time and put my all into it.
“I’ve been doing this my whole life. Stepping up on two weeks’ notice is nothing for me. A guy trying to cheat is disrespectful to the sport. It’s my duty to the sport to step in. … I’m coming to fight and I’m coming to win.”
Davis (16-2-1, 6 KOs) can box, the result of an extensive amateur career. And while he doesn’t have many big names on his resume, his surprising draw with two-time 168-pound champ Anthony Dirrell this past February opened eyes.
He also pointed out that both of his losses (against Junior Castillo in 2016 and Patrick Day in 2018) came at 154 pounds, a weight at which he wasn’t comfortable.
Benavidez, a big puncher, has stopped his last four opponents. Davis doesn’t plan to become No. 5.
“I showed that I can fight on this level against Anthony Dirrell,” he said. “That performance put me in position to get this fight. … All good things must come to an end. His knockout streak is cool, but who you fight matters.
“I’m nicknamed ‘Shut It Down’, not lay down. He’s supposed to want to put on a great show, but I’m looking to do what I have to do to win.”
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