Tag: Benavidez vs Davis

Fight Week: Terence Crawford vs. Shawn Porter; Demetrius Andrade returns

Fight Week: Terence Crawford faces his biggest test in Shawn Porter; Demetrius Andrade returns against Jason Quigley.

FIGHT WEEK

TERENCE CRAWFORD FACES THE BIGGEST TEST OF HIS CAREER IN SHAWN CRAWORD SATURDAY ON PAY-PER-VIEW. ALSO, DEMETRIUS ANDRADE TAKES ON JASON QUIGLEY.

TERENCE CRAWFORD (37-0, 28 KOs) VS. SHAWN PORTER (31-3-1, 17 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Nov. 20
  • Where: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas
  • TV/Stream: ESPN+ Pay-per-view
  • Division: Welterweight
  • At stake: Crawford’s WBO title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: Crawford No. 1
  • Odds: Crawford 5½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Esquiva Falcao vs. Patrice Volny, middleweights; Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Hassan N’Dam, 10 rounds, middleweights; Isaac Dogboe vs. Christopher Diaz, featherweights
  • Prediction: Crawford UD
  • Background: Finally. This is the type of challenge Crawford has coveted for years, a true test of his unusual ability. The 34-year-old Nebraskan has dazzled fans en route to winning major titles in three divisions and climbing to the pinnacle of the sport. However, while he has beaten many capable opponents, it’s difficult to find a defining fight on his resume. He’s coming off a fourth-round knockout of Kell Brook almost exactly a year ago, his fourth successful defense of the title he won by stopping Jeff Horn in June 2018 and his eighth consecutive knockout. Porter, also 34, has been a top 147-pounder for a decade. The swarming fighter from Akron, Ohio, is a two-time titleholder with some big victories, including decisions over Danny Garcia and Yordenis Ugas. He lost to Brook, Keith Thurman and Errol Spence Jr. The Spence fight, a split decision setback, was close. Porter rebounded from that loss to shut out overmatched Sebastian Formella in August of last year, his most-recent fight. He will have been out of the ring for 15 months.

 

DEMETRIUS ANDRADE (30-0, 18 KOs) VS. JASON QUIGLEY (19-1, 14 KOs)

  • When: Friday, Nov. 19
  • Where: SNHU Arena, Manchester, New Hampshire
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Middleweight
  • At stake: Andrade’s WBO title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Andrade 10½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Murodjon Akhmadaliev vs. Ronny Rios, junior featherweights (for Akhmadaliev’s IBF and WBA titles); Julio Cesar Martinez vs. McWilliams Arroyo, flyweights (for Martinez’s WBC title); Kali Reis vs. Jessica Camara, junior welterweights (for Reis’ WBA and vacant WBO titles)
  • Prediction: Andrade KO 8
  • Background: One could debate whether Andrade is one of the most-avoided boxers, which is a common notion. The fact is the two-division titleholder has faced a long list of solid, but second-tier opponents, the one possible exception being Vanes Martirosyan back in 2013. He last fought in April, when he easily outpointed Liam Williams in his fourth title defense. Many observers believe the 33-year-old southpaw could give anyone problems with his athleticism and awkward style but we’d have to see him against a next-level opponent to know for sure. Quigley isn’t that type of opponent. The 30-year-old Irishman had a vast and successful amateur career, which gave him a solid fundamental foundation. This is his chance to do something special in the paid ranks. He has won three consecutive fights since he was stopped after nine rounds by Tureano Johnson in July 2019, including a majority decision over solid, but limited Shane Mosley Jr. this past May. Andrade is a significant step up in opposition for Quigley. Hence the long odds he faces in the fight. The card is solid when you factor in the three world title fights below Andrade-Quigley.

 

Also fighting this week: Junior middleweight contender Tim Tszyu (19-0, 15 KOs) will face Takeshi Inoue (17-1-1, 10 KOs) in a scheduled 12-rounder Wednesday in Sydney (no TV in U.S.). And, on Saturday in Mescalero, Mexico, Hall of Famer Marco Antonio Barrera will take on Daniel Ponce de Leon in a six-round junior middleweight exhibition (FITE).

Fight Week: Terence Crawford vs. Shawn Porter; Demetrius Andrade returns

Fight Week: Terence Crawford faces his biggest test in Shawn Porter; Demetrius Andrade returns against Jason Quigley.

FIGHT WEEK

TERENCE CRAWFORD FACES THE BIGGEST TEST OF HIS CAREER IN SHAWN CRAWORD SATURDAY ON PAY-PER-VIEW. ALSO, DEMETRIUS ANDRADE TAKES ON JASON QUIGLEY.

TERENCE CRAWFORD (37-0, 28 KOs) VS. SHAWN PORTER (31-3-1, 17 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Nov. 20
  • Where: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas
  • TV/Stream: ESPN+ Pay-per-view
  • Division: Welterweight
  • At stake: Crawford’s WBO title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: Crawford No. 1
  • Odds: Crawford 5½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Esquiva Falcao vs. Patrice Volny, middleweights; Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Hassan N’Dam, 10 rounds, middleweights; Isaac Dogboe vs. Christopher Diaz, featherweights
  • Prediction: Crawford UD
  • Background: Finally. This is the type of challenge Crawford has coveted for years, a true test of his unusual ability. The 34-year-old Nebraskan has dazzled fans en route to winning major titles in three divisions and climbing to the pinnacle of the sport. However, while he has beaten many capable opponents, it’s difficult to find a defining fight on his resume. He’s coming off a fourth-round knockout of Kell Brook almost exactly a year ago, his fourth successful defense of the title he won by stopping Jeff Horn in June 2018 and his eighth consecutive knockout. Porter, also 34, has been a top 147-pounder for a decade. The swarming fighter from Akron, Ohio, is a two-time titleholder with some big victories, including decisions over Danny Garcia and Yordenis Ugas. He lost to Brook, Keith Thurman and Errol Spence Jr. The Spence fight, a split decision setback, was close. Porter rebounded from that loss to shut out overmatched Sebastian Formella in August of last year, his most-recent fight. He will have been out of the ring for 15 months.

 

DEMETRIUS ANDRADE (30-0, 18 KOs) VS. JASON QUIGLEY (19-1, 14 KOs)

  • When: Friday, Nov. 19
  • Where: SNHU Arena, Manchester, New Hampshire
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Middleweight
  • At stake: Andrade’s WBO title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Andrade 10½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Murodjon Akhmadaliev vs. Ronny Rios, junior featherweights (for Akhmadaliev’s IBF and WBA titles); Julio Cesar Martinez vs. McWilliams Arroyo, flyweights (for Martinez’s WBC title); Kali Reis vs. Jessica Camara, junior welterweights (for Reis’ WBA and vacant WBO titles)
  • Prediction: Andrade KO 8
  • Background: One could debate whether Andrade is one of the most-avoided boxers, which is a common notion. The fact is the two-division titleholder has faced a long list of solid, but second-tier opponents, the one possible exception being Vanes Martirosyan back in 2013. He last fought in April, when he easily outpointed Liam Williams in his fourth title defense. Many observers believe the 33-year-old southpaw could give anyone problems with his athleticism and awkward style but we’d have to see him against a next-level opponent to know for sure. Quigley isn’t that type of opponent. The 30-year-old Irishman had a vast and successful amateur career, which gave him a solid fundamental foundation. This is his chance to do something special in the paid ranks. He has won three consecutive fights since he was stopped after nine rounds by Tureano Johnson in July 2019, including a majority decision over solid, but limited Shane Mosley Jr. this past May. Andrade is a significant step up in opposition for Quigley. Hence the long odds he faces in the fight. The card is solid when you factor in the three world title fights below Andrade-Quigley.

 

Also fighting this week: Junior middleweight contender Tim Tszyu (19-0, 15 KOs) will face Takeshi Inoue (17-1-1, 10 KOs) in a scheduled 12-rounder Wednesday in Sydney (no TV in U.S.). And, on Saturday in Mescalero, Mexico, Hall of Famer Marco Antonio Barrera will take on Daniel Ponce de Leon in a six-round junior middleweight exhibition (FITE).

Good, bad, worse: David Benavidez, Jaime Munguia dominate

Good, bad, worse: David Benavidez and Jaime Munguia dominate.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

David Benavidez (left) gave Kyrone Davis a vicious beating. Stephanie Trapp / Showtime

David Benavidez and Jaime Munguia lived up to expectations on Saturday night … and then some.

Benavidez, the best super middleweight not named Canelo Alvarez, gave brave Kyrone Davis a terrible beating until Davis’ corner stopped the fight in Round 7. His ability to consistently break down good opponents is awesome, in the literal sense of the word.

I don’t believe stopping a naturally smaller late replacement proves that the Benavidez (25-0, 22 KOs) can take down Alvarez but his performance reinforced the notion that he’s a serious threat.

Benavidez, 24, certainly has more all-around ability than Callum Smith, Billy Joe Saunders and Caleb Plant, the three fighters Alvarez defeated to become undisputed champion. That includes the heavy hands with which he bludgeoned Davis for six-plus rounds.

If Alvarez is the warrior I believe he is, he’ll choose Benavidez as his opponent for May. He’s clearly the best choice.

Munguia (38-0, 30 KOs) dominated veteran Gabriel Rosado en route to a one-sided decision to remain on track for a shot at a middleweight title.

The 25-year-old Mexican simply outworked Rosado, outpunching him 821 (landing 328) to 551 (154). He never stopped throwing blows, which is a testament to his conditioning. And he clearly is evolving as a boxer under trainer Erik Morales, although he can still be hit.

He also took everything Rosado threw at him, underscoring the former 154-pound titleholder’s durability.

Munguia is the highest-ranked challenger to titleholders Jermall Charlo (WBC) and Demetrius Andrade (WBO), who defends against Jason Quigley on Friday. And he has said he would like a shot at IBF beltholder Gennadiy Golovkin, who fights fellow champ Ryota Murata on Dec. 29.

How would Munguia do against those champions? He’d have a chance against any of them, especially if he and Morales can refine his defense a little bit more.

 

BAD

Davis and Rosado were on the wrong end of one-sided fights, which is never easy to swallow.

Davis’ effort was inspiring. He took the fight on two weeks’ notice and is a small super middleweight yet absorbed a progressively worse beating and continued to fight back until moments before the bout was stopped.

He also had some good moments between the heavy shots he took from Benavidez, countering nicely at times and landing some hard body shots, although none deterred an imposing opponent bent on his destruction.

Davis obviously is a fighter through and through. And I think he demonstrated that he’s a pretty good boxer in spite of the terrible beating he took. The main problem he had was that he was physical overmatched, as many of Benavidez’s opponents are.

I hope Davis gets more big fights, perhaps at 160 pounds. I think he’ll have some success.

Rosado (26-14-1, 15 KOs) was living in dreamworld when he said after his one-sided setback that he deserved the nod. He didn’t do the work required to win, at least against a volume puncher like Munguia.

In other words, Rosado was Rosado, a gutsy fighter who comes up short in his biggest fights. Yes, he upset Bektemir Melikuziev by a third-round knockout in his most-recent fight. That was an aberration, though. And maybe Melikuziev isn’t as good as we thought he was.

This isn’t meant to be a knock on Rosado, who always comes to fight and has performed well enough to remain a contender for a decade. He simply hasn’t been able to reach the pinnacle of the sport. No shame in that.

Should he retire? Well, he’s 35. That’s an option. At the same time, he probably did enough against Munguia to earn another big fight. I doubt we’ve seen the last of this warrior.

 

WORSE

Jose Benavidez Jr. (left) drew with Emanuel Torres on Saturday. Stephanie Trapp / Showtime

I celebrate the fact Jose Benavidez Jr. can still fight … but it’s tough for me to watch him.

The older brother of David Benavidez was shot in the leg five years ago, after which it wasn’t clear whether he would be able to fight again. He has managed to do so but no longer has the mobility he had before the shooting, a fact he has acknowledged.

He surprised many by giving pound-for-pound No. 1 Terence Crawford some difficulty in 2018, stepped away from the sport for three years and then returned on his brother’s card Saturday in Phoenix, their hometown.

He was fortunate to emerge with a majority draw in the 10-round bout. Opponent Emanuel Torres was the much busier fighter but Benavidez landed the bigger punches, which resulted in two 95-95 cards. The third judge had Benavidez winning 96-94.

I applaud Benavidez for his effort, especially for overcoming his long layoff and permanent handicap. However, I kept thinking about how much better he would be if both of his legs were 100%.

Alas, he’s making the best of the situation. This is who he is as a fighter now. And he somehow remains a world class fighter, as he demonstrated against both Crawford and Torres.

My dream for him is that he build upon his performance on Saturday, win some fights and earn another shot at a world title. And I imagine him hearing the words “and the new …” after that championship fight.

Benavidez already has pulled off a remarkable comeback. If he can win a world title post-shooting, someone should start thinking about making movie about his life.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

What if David Benavidez doesn’t land a fight with Alvarez, who plans to fight next in May? He reeled off a list of potential foes at the post-fight news conference, underscoring earlier comments that he’ll take interim fights if necessary to earn a shot at Alvarez. “I would love to fight [Jermall] Charlo, [Edgar] Berlanga, Caleb Plant still, Callum Smith. If I have to go up to 175, I’ll go up to 175, too. It doesn’t matter. I feel like I got another 10, 12 years left in this professional boxing game so there’s a lot of names to be fought out there. I’ll fight every single one of them.” He doubts Charlo, a respected middleweight titleholder, will fight him. He said in his post-fight interview that Charlo, “Don’t wanna get in the ring with me because he’s a p—y.” How do you really feel, David? … Talk about great stories. Kiko Martinez was a bantamweight titleholder in 2013-14 but could never regain a belt … until Saturday night in Sheffield, England. The 35-year-old Spaniard knocked IBF 126-pound champ Kid Galahad (28-2, 17 KOs) flat on his back with an enormous overhand right in the final seconds of Round 5 and then rendered him unconscious with the same punch seconds into Round 6. That was his fourth – and perhaps final – attempt to win a second major belt, having fallen to Carl Frampton, Leo Santa Cruz and Gary Russell Jr. in previous title fights. Martinez (43-10-2, 30 KOs) is now a two-division titleholder and undoubtedly a legend in Spain.

Good, bad, worse: David Benavidez, Jaime Munguia dominate

Good, bad, worse: David Benavidez and Jaime Munguia dominate.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

David Benavidez (left) gave Kyrone Davis a vicious beating. Stephanie Trapp / Showtime

David Benavidez and Jaime Munguia lived up to expectations on Saturday night … and then some.

Benavidez, the best super middleweight not named Canelo Alvarez, gave brave Kyrone Davis a terrible beating until Davis’ corner stopped the fight in Round 7. His ability to consistently break down good opponents is awesome, in the literal sense of the word.

I don’t believe stopping a naturally smaller late replacement proves that the Benavidez (25-0, 22 KOs) can take down Alvarez but his performance reinforced the notion that he’s a serious threat.

Benavidez, 24, certainly has more all-around ability than Callum Smith, Billy Joe Saunders and Caleb Plant, the three fighters Alvarez defeated to become undisputed champion. That includes the heavy hands with which he bludgeoned Davis for six-plus rounds.

If Alvarez is the warrior I believe he is, he’ll choose Benavidez as his opponent for May. He’s clearly the best choice.

Munguia (38-0, 30 KOs) dominated veteran Gabriel Rosado en route to a one-sided decision to remain on track for a shot at a middleweight title.

The 25-year-old Mexican simply outworked Rosado, outpunching him 821 (landing 328) to 551 (154). He never stopped throwing blows, which is a testament to his conditioning. And he clearly is evolving as a boxer under trainer Erik Morales, although he can still be hit.

He also took everything Rosado threw at him, underscoring the former 154-pound titleholder’s durability.

Munguia is the highest-ranked challenger to titleholders Jermall Charlo (WBC) and Demetrius Andrade (WBO), who defends against Jason Quigley on Friday. And he has said he would like a shot at IBF beltholder Gennadiy Golovkin, who fights fellow champ Ryota Murata on Dec. 29.

How would Munguia do against those champions? He’d have a chance against any of them, especially if he and Morales can refine his defense a little bit more.

 

BAD

Davis and Rosado were on the wrong end of one-sided fights, which is never easy to swallow.

Davis’ effort was inspiring. He took the fight on two weeks’ notice and is a small super middleweight yet absorbed a progressively worse beating and continued to fight back until moments before the bout was stopped.

He also had some good moments between the heavy shots he took from Benavidez, countering nicely at times and landing some hard body shots, although none deterred an imposing opponent bent on his destruction.

Davis obviously is a fighter through and through. And I think he demonstrated that he’s a pretty good boxer in spite of the terrible beating he took. The main problem he had was that he was physical overmatched, as many of Benavidez’s opponents are.

I hope Davis gets more big fights, perhaps at 160 pounds. I think he’ll have some success.

Rosado (26-14-1, 15 KOs) was living in dreamworld when he said after his one-sided setback that he deserved the nod. He didn’t do the work required to win, at least against a volume puncher like Munguia.

In other words, Rosado was Rosado, a gutsy fighter who comes up short in his biggest fights. Yes, he upset Bektemir Melikuziev by a third-round knockout in his most-recent fight. That was an aberration, though. And maybe Melikuziev isn’t as good as we thought he was.

This isn’t meant to be a knock on Rosado, who always comes to fight and has performed well enough to remain a contender for a decade. He simply hasn’t been able to reach the pinnacle of the sport. No shame in that.

Should he retire? Well, he’s 35. That’s an option. At the same time, he probably did enough against Munguia to earn another big fight. I doubt we’ve seen the last of this warrior.

 

WORSE

Jose Benavidez Jr. (left) drew with Emanuel Torres on Saturday. Stephanie Trapp / Showtime

I celebrate the fact Jose Benavidez Jr. can still fight … but it’s tough for me to watch him.

The older brother of David Benavidez was shot in the leg five years ago, after which it wasn’t clear whether he would be able to fight again. He has managed to do so but no longer has the mobility he had before the shooting, a fact he has acknowledged.

He surprised many by giving pound-for-pound No. 1 Terence Crawford some difficulty in 2018, stepped away from the sport for three years and then returned on his brother’s card Saturday in Phoenix, their hometown.

He was fortunate to emerge with a majority draw in the 10-round bout. Opponent Emanuel Torres was the much busier fighter but Benavidez landed the bigger punches, which resulted in two 95-95 cards. The third judge had Benavidez winning 96-94.

I applaud Benavidez for his effort, especially for overcoming his long layoff and permanent handicap. However, I kept thinking about how much better he would be if both of his legs were 100%.

Alas, he’s making the best of the situation. This is who he is as a fighter now. And he somehow remains a world class fighter, as he demonstrated against both Crawford and Torres.

My dream for him is that he build upon his performance on Saturday, win some fights and earn another shot at a world title. And I imagine him hearing the words “and the new …” after that championship fight.

Benavidez already has pulled off a remarkable comeback. If he can win a world title post-shooting, someone should start thinking about making movie about his life.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

What if David Benavidez doesn’t land a fight with Alvarez, who plans to fight next in May? He reeled off a list of potential foes at the post-fight news conference, underscoring earlier comments that he’ll take interim fights if necessary to earn a shot at Alvarez. “I would love to fight [Jermall] Charlo, [Edgar] Berlanga, Caleb Plant still, Callum Smith. If I have to go up to 175, I’ll go up to 175, too. It doesn’t matter. I feel like I got another 10, 12 years left in this professional boxing game so there’s a lot of names to be fought out there. I’ll fight every single one of them.” He doubts Charlo, a respected middleweight titleholder, will fight him. He said in his post-fight interview that Charlo, “Don’t wanna get in the ring with me because he’s a p—y.” How do you really feel, David? … Talk about great stories. Kiko Martinez was a bantamweight titleholder in 2013-14 but could never regain a belt … until Saturday night in Sheffield, England. The 35-year-old Spaniard knocked IBF 126-pound champ Kid Galahad (28-2, 17 KOs) flat on his back with an enormous overhand right in the final seconds of Round 5 and then rendered him unconscious with the same punch seconds into Round 6. That was his fourth – and perhaps final – attempt to win a second major belt, having fallen to Carl Frampton, Leo Santa Cruz and Gary Russell Jr. in previous title fights. Martinez (43-10-2, 30 KOs) is now a two-division titleholder and undoubtedly a legend in Spain.

David Benavidez: It’s a showdown with Canelo Alvarez or bust

David Benavidez said he’ll do whatever it takes to get a fight with super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez.

David Benavidez’s immediate future is in the hands of Canelo Alvarez.

The way Benavidez sees it he’s the best option for the super middleweight king, who has fought every top 168-pounder except him. All the 24-year-old from Phoenix can do is wait to see whether Alvarez sees it the same way.

In the meantime, he said, he’ll continue to do what he did against Kyrone Davis on Saturday night: methodically break down and stop his opponents in brutal fashion.

“I feel like I deserve that fight,” Benavidez said at the post-fight news conference. “So until I get that fight I’m going to keep knocking down whoever they put in front of me. … If they want to do another title eliminator, that’s fine.

“I’ll do that until I get the fight with Canelo. The fans are going to keep asking for that fight.”

Benavidez, 24, has been boxing since he was in diapers. He understands as well as anyone the challenge Alvarez would present. There’s a reason many consider the Mexican star the best in the business.

At the same time, Benavidez knows what he can do in the ring. Davis isn’t the first fighter who has crumbled as a result of relentless punishment delivered by the former two-time titleholder. He’s big, strong and good.

Maybe good enough to beat the king.

“I feel like I’m a bigger guy, I’m a stronger guy, I have a lot of speed,” Benavidez said. “A lot of people say I’m a walk in the part for Canelo. But they say that about all my opponents. I don’t have defense, I don’t have nothing.

“I know when I get in the ring with a fighter it’s a completely different story. I know how strong I am, how much pressure I put on, and I know how these guys tend to break down toward the end of the fight.

“I know a fight with Canelo won’t be easy. I’m willing to give my heart and soul to get the victory. And I know I could get it done.”

And if he can’t? That’s a risk he’s willing to take.

Benavidez believes his destiny is to be recognized as a great fighter. And the only way to demonstrate that is to fight and beat another great fighter, Alvarez in this case. That’s’ one reason he wants the fight.

“Everyone I looked up to, Oscar De La Hoya, Marco Antonio Barrera, [Fernando] Vargas, [Felix] Trinidad, these dudes were 24, 25, 26 years old and fighting the best of the best. … They didn’t have to take that chance but they did. They took the leap to be great. I feel that’s what I have to do.

“Obviously this is a very hard fight with me and Canelo, the hardest fight of my career. There are no guarantees. But the work you put in is guaranteed. I’m willing to work as hard as I can to make sure I secure a victory and be in my best possible mental and physical place of my life … and be ready for it.

“Everybody can say whatever they want. They don’t put in the work I put in. I know exactly what I put in. Whenever it does happen, my motivation will be through the roof. And I’ll be the victor in the fight.”

[lawrence-related id=25767,25718]

David Benavidez: It’s a showdown with Canelo Alvarez or bust

David Benavidez said he’ll do whatever it takes to get a fight with super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez.

David Benavidez’s immediate future is in the hands of Canelo Alvarez.

The way Benavidez sees it he’s the best option for the super middleweight king, who has fought every top 168-pounder except him. All the 24-year-old from Phoenix can do is wait to see whether Alvarez sees it the same way.

In the meantime, he said, he’ll continue to do what he did against Kyrone Davis on Saturday night: methodically break down and stop his opponents in brutal fashion.

“I feel like I deserve that fight,” Benavidez said at the post-fight news conference. “So until I get that fight I’m going to keep knocking down whoever they put in front of me. … If they want to do another title eliminator, that’s fine.

“I’ll do that until I get the fight with Canelo. The fans are going to keep asking for that fight.”

Benavidez, 24, has been boxing since he was in diapers. He understands as well as anyone the challenge Alvarez would present. There’s a reason many consider the Mexican star the best in the business.

At the same time, Benavidez knows what he can do in the ring. Davis isn’t the first fighter who has crumbled as a result of relentless punishment delivered by the former two-time titleholder. He’s big, strong and good.

Maybe good enough to beat the king.

“I feel like I’m a bigger guy, I’m a stronger guy, I have a lot of speed,” Benavidez said. “A lot of people say I’m a walk in the part for Canelo. But they say that about all my opponents. I don’t have defense, I don’t have nothing.

“I know when I get in the ring with a fighter it’s a completely different story. I know how strong I am, how much pressure I put on, and I know how these guys tend to break down toward the end of the fight.

“I know a fight with Canelo won’t be easy. I’m willing to give my heart and soul to get the victory. And I know I could get it done.”

And if he can’t? That’s a risk he’s willing to take.

Benavidez believes his destiny is to be recognized as a great fighter. And the only way to demonstrate that is to fight and beat another great fighter, Alvarez in this case. That’s’ one reason he wants the fight.

“Everyone I looked up to, Oscar De La Hoya, Marco Antonio Barrera, [Fernando] Vargas, [Felix] Trinidad, these dudes were 24, 25, 26 years old and fighting the best of the best. … They didn’t have to take that chance but they did. They took the leap to be great. I feel that’s what I have to do.

“Obviously this is a very hard fight with me and Canelo, the hardest fight of my career. There are no guarantees. But the work you put in is guaranteed. I’m willing to work as hard as I can to make sure I secure a victory and be in my best possible mental and physical place of my life … and be ready for it.

“Everybody can say whatever they want. They don’t put in the work I put in. I know exactly what I put in. Whenever it does happen, my motivation will be through the roof. And I’ll be the victor in the fight.”

[lawrence-related id=25767,25718]

David Benavidez beats up, stops Kyrone Davis in Round 7

David Benavidez beat up and then stopped Kyrone Davis in Round 7 Saturday in Phoenix.

On to Canelo Alvarez?

David Benavidez demonstrated on Saturday why many believe he’s the biggest threat to the undisputed 168-pound champion, pounding and then stopping Kyrone Davis in seven rounds at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Benavidez’s hometown.

Davis, who took the fight on two weeks’ notice, was brave and determined but, in the end, he couldn’t stand up to the relentless punishment Benavidez dished out.

The former two-time super middleweight titleholder stalked the elusive Davis from the beginning, jabbing and targeting both head and body with ill-intended power shots. And more and more of them landed as the fight went on.

Davis showed uncommon courage, absorbing a terrible beating yet fighting back until the end. However, by the end of Round 5, his trainer, Breadman Edwards, threatened to stop the fight if he didn’t show him more. And after Round 6 Edwards said he’d give him one more round.

All he could give Davis was 48 more seconds. That’s when Edwards threw in the towel, saving his fighter from taking undue punishment.

Benavidez (25-0, 22 KOs) gave Davis (16-3-1, 6 KOs) credit for his toughness but, he said, the result was inevitable.

“I had so much condition that I’m going to keep going until he eventually stops,” Benavidez said. “That’s what eventually happens; they tend to give up. I have that one-punch knockout power. I’m going to be ready to you every single round.”

Of course, Alvarez, coming off his sensational knockout of Caleb Plant last Saturday, can fight whomever he wants. No one has more leverage in boxing.

However, he likes challenges. And he has said more than once that Benavidez his near the top of his lists of prospective opponents.

The 24-year-old certainly didn’t hurt his chances of meeting the Mexican superstar on Saturday night. It’s sensational performances like the one he turned in that build interest future fights.

He was asked in the ring what might come next for him.

“I think that’s an easy question,” said Benavidez, who then turned to his hometown fans. “I think everybody wants to see me against Canelo, right? … They keep putting these contenders in front of me. My last fight (an 11th-round knockout of Ronald Ellis) was a WBC title eliminator. That’s why I’m here holding my belts. They need to give me the opportunity.

“I’ll go through anybody, whoever they want me to go through.”

 

 

David Benavidez beats up, stops Kyrone Davis in Round 7

David Benavidez beat up and then stopped Kyrone Davis in Round 7 Saturday in Phoenix.

On to Canelo Alvarez?

David Benavidez demonstrated on Saturday why many believe he’s the biggest threat to the undisputed 168-pound champion, pounding and then stopping Kyrone Davis in seven rounds at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Benavidez’s hometown.

Davis, who took the fight on two weeks’ notice, was brave and determined but, in the end, he couldn’t stand up to the relentless punishment Benavidez dished out.

The former two-time super middleweight titleholder stalked the elusive Davis from the beginning, jabbing and targeting both head and body with ill-intended power shots. And more and more of them landed as the fight went on.

Davis showed uncommon courage, absorbing a terrible beating yet fighting back until the end. However, by the end of Round 5, his trainer, Breadman Edwards, threatened to stop the fight if he didn’t show him more. And after Round 6 Edwards said he’d give him one more round.

All he could give Davis was 48 more seconds. That’s when Edwards threw in the towel, saving his fighter from taking undue punishment.

Benavidez (25-0, 22 KOs) gave Davis (16-3-1, 6 KOs) credit for his toughness but, he said, the result was inevitable.

“I had so much condition that I’m going to keep going until he eventually stops,” Benavidez said. “That’s what eventually happens; they tend to give up. I have that one-punch knockout power. I’m going to be ready to you every single round.”

Of course, Alvarez, coming off his sensational knockout of Caleb Plant last Saturday, can fight whomever he wants. No one has more leverage in boxing.

However, he likes challenges. And he has said more than once that Benavidez his near the top of his lists of prospective opponents.

The 24-year-old certainly didn’t hurt his chances of meeting the Mexican superstar on Saturday night. It’s sensational performances like the one he turned in that build interest future fights.

He was asked in the ring what might come next for him.

“I think that’s an easy question,” said Benavidez, who then turned to his hometown fans. “I think everybody wants to see me against Canelo, right? … They keep putting these contenders in front of me. My last fight (an 11th-round knockout of Ronald Ellis) was a WBC title eliminator. That’s why I’m here holding my belts. They need to give me the opportunity.

“I’ll go through anybody, whoever they want me to go through.”

 

 

David Benavidez, Kyrone Davis make weight for Saturday’s fight

David Benavidez and Kyrone Davis made weight for their super middleweight fight Saturday in Phoenix.

David Benavidez and Kyrone Davis made weight for their 10-round super middleweight fight Saturday at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Benavidez’s hometown.

Benavidez weighed 169 pounds, one over the division limit but allowable because no titles are at stake. Davis came in at 167.75.

Davis (16-2-1, 6 KOs) took the fight two weeks ago after Jose Uzcategui was pulled from the show for allegedly testing positive for a banned substance.

Benavidez (24-0, 21 KOs) is a former two-time 168-pound titleholder. He’s coming of an 11th-round knockout of Ronald Ellis in March, his fourth consecutive stoppage.

Davis made a statement by drawing with former beltholder Anthony Dirrell in February, after which he outpointed Martez McGregor in September.

Also on the card Saturday, which will be televised on Showtime, Jose Benavidez Jr., David’s older brother, will fight Francisco Emanuel Torres in a middleweight bout. Benavidez (27-1, 18 KOs) weighed 158.75, Torres (17-3, 5 KOs) 157.5.

David Benavidez, Kyrone Davis make weight for Saturday’s fight

David Benavidez and Kyrone Davis made weight for their super middleweight fight Saturday in Phoenix.

David Benavidez and Kyrone Davis made weight for their 10-round super middleweight fight Saturday at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Benavidez’s hometown.

Benavidez weighed 169 pounds, one over the division limit but allowable because no titles are at stake. Davis came in at 167.75.

Davis (16-2-1, 6 KOs) took the fight two weeks ago after Jose Uzcategui was pulled from the show for allegedly testing positive for a banned substance.

Benavidez (24-0, 21 KOs) is a former two-time 168-pound titleholder. He’s coming of an 11th-round knockout of Ronald Ellis in March, his fourth consecutive stoppage.

Davis made a statement by drawing with former beltholder Anthony Dirrell in February, after which he outpointed Martez McGregor in September.

Also on the card Saturday, which will be televised on Showtime, Jose Benavidez Jr., David’s older brother, will fight Francisco Emanuel Torres in a middleweight bout. Benavidez (27-1, 18 KOs) weighed 158.75, Torres (17-3, 5 KOs) 157.5.