We had a dilemma. We normally don’t like to elevate pound-for-pound fighters unless they defeat an opponent who is also on our Boxing Junkie list, which is the best way to prove you belong. There are exceptions, though. Sometimes a boxer gives such …
We had a dilemma.
We normally don’t like to elevate pound-for-pound fighters unless they defeat an opponent who is also on our Boxing Junkie list, which is the best way to prove you belong.
There are exceptions, though. Sometimes a boxer gives such a sublime performance that he simply has to be rewarded.
That’s the case with No. 13-ranked Shakur Stevenson, who was nearly flawless in his sixth-round knockout of previously unbeaten Shuichiro Yoshino in Stevenson’s 135-pound debut Saturday in Newark New, Jersey.
Stevenson gave a hit-and-not be-hit clinic, picking a pitiful Yoshino apart from a perfect distance and taking almost nothing in return.
And he showed us something for which he’s not known, punching power. He put Yoshino down twice and ultimately landed so many hard, damaging blows that referee Allen Huggins had no choice but to stop the fight.
OK, Yoshino isn’t on the level of Gervonta Davis (No. 10), Vasiliy Lomachenko (No. 11), Devin Haney (No. 15) or the like. He’s a good, proven fighter, though. And he was overwhelmed.
Where does that leave Stevenson?
We feel he earned the right to leap frog Lomachenko and No. 12 Artur Beterbiev, lifting him to No. 11 on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list.
A bonus to our decision is that Lomachenko’s fate is in his own hands. If the former three-division champion defeats undisputed 135-pound champ Haney on May 20, he likely would jump back into the Top 10.
And remember: Stevenson’s biggest fights lie ahead of him, which means he’ll have opportunities to demonstrate that he is truly what he believes he is — the best fighter in the world.
Next pound-for-pounder up: No. 13 Shakur Stevenson is scheduled to Shuichiro Yoshino in a 135-pound bout on Apri 8 in Newark, New Jersey.
Here’s what the list looks like at the moment:
BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND
Terence Crawford – Reportedly has re-entered talks to face No. 4 Errol Spence Jr. for the undisputed 147-pound championship but deal has been reached.
Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to challenge 122-pound titleholder and Honorable Mention Stephen Fulton Jr. on July 25 in Tokyo.
Oleksandr Usyk – No fight scheduled.
Errol Spence Jr. – Reportedly has re-entered talks to face No. 1 Terence Crawford for the undisputed 147-pound championship but deal has been reached..
Dmitry Bivol – Expected to defend his 175-title against Canelo Alvarez in a rematch in September but no agreement has been reached..
Tyson Fury – Reportedly considering a title defense against former beltholder Andy Ruiz Jr. in the summer but that seems to be only one option.
Juan Francisco Estrada – No fight scheduled.
Canelo Alvarez– Scheduled to defend his undisputed 168-pound championship against John Ryder on May 6 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Jermell Charlo – Expected to defend his undisputed 154-pound championship against top contender Tim Tszyu this summer but no agreement is in place.
Gervonta Davis – Scheduled to face Ryan Garcia in a 136-pound bout on April 15 in Las Vegas.
Vasiliy Lomachenko – Scheduled to challenge undisputed 135-pound champion Devin Haney on May 20 in Las Vegas.
Artur Beterbiev – No fight scheduled.
Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled.
Roman Gonzalez –No fight scheduled.
Devin Haney – Scheduled to defend his undisputed 135-pound championship against Vasiliy Lomachenko on May 20 in Las Vegas..
Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (no fight scheduled); Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Stephen Fulton Jr. (scheduled to defend his 122-pound title against No. 2 Naoya Inoue on July 25 in Tokyo); Kazuto Ioka (reportedly scheduled to challenge 115-pound titleholder Joshua Franco in June in Japan but no announcement has been made); Josh Taylor (scheduled to defend his WBO 140-pound title against Teofimo Lopez on June 10 in New York).
Pound for pound: Was David Benavidez’s victory over Caleb Plant enough to elevate him higher on the list?
David Benavidez demonstrated in his one-sided victory over Caleb Plant on Saturday that he’s the best 168-pounder in the world not named Canelo Alvarez.
But was that accomplishment enough to lift the Honorable Mention pound-for-pounder higher on the list?
No. Here’s why.
Plant, an excellent boxer, arguably was the toughest opponent of Benavidez’s career even though the Phoenix native is a two-time world titleholder. And while it took time for Benavidez to close the distance on his fleet opponent, he ultimately delivered a beat down.
However, Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs) probably will have to take down an opponent on the pound-for-pound list or possibly someone on the cusp in order to climb into the Top 15.
Of course, he’ll eventually get that opportunity if he continues to win. And based on what we saw this past weekend, it’s a good bet he’ll do so.
Next pound-for-pounder up: No. 13 Shakur Stevenson is scheduled to Shuichiro Yoshino in a 135-pound bout on Apri 8 in Newark, New Jersey.
Here’s what the list looks like at the moment:
BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND
Terence Crawford – Ordered by the WBO to defend his 147-pound title against Alexis Rocha but no agreement is in place.
Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to challenge 122-pound titleholder and Honorable Mention Stephen Fulton Jr. on July 25 in Tokyo.
Oleksandr Usyk – Talks with No. 6 Tyson Fury for a heavyweight title-unification bout fell apart, leaving Usyk with no opponent for the time being.
Errol Spence Jr. – Unified 147-pound titleholder reportedly set to face Keith Thurman at 154 pounds in April but no official announcement has been made.
Dmitry Bivol – Reportedly in talks to face No. 12 Artur Beterbiev in a 175-pound title-unification fight but no agreement is in place.
Tyson Fury – Talks with No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk for a heavyweight title-unification bout fell apart, leaving Fury with no opponent for the time being.
Juan Francisco Estrada – No fight scheduled.
Canelo Alvarez– Scheduled to defend his undisputed 168-pound championship against John Ryder on May 6 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Jermell Charlo – Expected to defend his undisputed 154-pound championship against top contender Tim Tszyu this summer but no agreement is in place.
Gervonta Davis – Scheduled to face Ryan Garcia in a 136-pound bout on April 15 in Las Vegas.
Vasiliy Lomachenko – Scheduled to challenge undisputed 135-pound champion Devin Haney on May 20 in Las Vegas.
Artur Beterbiev – Reportedly in talks to face No. 5 Dmitry Bivol in a 175-pound title-unification fight as early but no agreement is in place.
Shakur Stevenson – Scheduled to face Shuichiro Yoshino in a 135-pound bout on April 8 in Newark, New Jersey.
Roman Gonzalez –No fight scheduled.
Devin Haney – Scheduled to defend his undisputed 135-pound championship against Vasiliy Lomachenko on May 20 in Las Vegas..
Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (no fight scheduled); Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Stephen Fulton Jr. (scheduled to defend his 122-pound title against No. 2 Naoya Inoue on July 25 in Tokyo); Kazuto Ioka (reportedly scheduled to challenge 115-pound titleholder Joshua Franco in June in Japan but no announcement has been made); Josh Taylor (reportedly will defend his WBO 140-pound title against Teofimo Lopez on June 10 in New York but no announcement has been made).
Pound for pound: Was David Benavidez’s victory over Caleb Plant enough to elevate him higher on the list?
David Benavidez demonstrated in his one-sided victory over Caleb Plant on Saturday that he’s the best 168-pounder in the world not named Canelo Alvarez.
But was that accomplishment enough to lift the Honorable Mention pound-for-pounder higher on the list?
No. Here’s why.
Plant, an excellent boxer, arguably was the toughest opponent of Benavidez’s career even though the Phoenix native is a two-time world titleholder. And while it took time for Benavidez to close the distance on his fleet opponent, he ultimately delivered a beat down.
However, Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs) probably will have to take down an opponent on the pound-for-pound list or possibly someone on the cusp in order to climb into the Top 15.
Of course, he’ll eventually get that opportunity if he continues to win. And based on what we saw this past weekend, it’s a good bet he’ll do so.
Next pound-for-pounder up: No. 13 Shakur Stevenson is scheduled to Shuichiro Yoshino in a 135-pound bout on Apri 8 in Newark, New Jersey.
Here’s what the list looks like at the moment:
BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND
Terence Crawford – Ordered by the WBO to defend his 147-pound title against Alexis Rocha but no agreement is in place.
Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to challenge 122-pound titleholder and Honorable Mention Stephen Fulton Jr. on July 25 in Tokyo.
Oleksandr Usyk – Talks with No. 6 Tyson Fury for a heavyweight title-unification bout fell apart, leaving Usyk with no opponent for the time being.
Errol Spence Jr. – Unified 147-pound titleholder reportedly set to face Keith Thurman at 154 pounds in April but no official announcement has been made.
Dmitry Bivol – Reportedly in talks to face No. 12 Artur Beterbiev in a 175-pound title-unification fight but no agreement is in place.
Tyson Fury – Talks with No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk for a heavyweight title-unification bout fell apart, leaving Fury with no opponent for the time being.
Juan Francisco Estrada – No fight scheduled.
Canelo Alvarez– Scheduled to defend his undisputed 168-pound championship against John Ryder on May 6 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Jermell Charlo – Expected to defend his undisputed 154-pound championship against top contender Tim Tszyu this summer but no agreement is in place.
Gervonta Davis – Scheduled to face Ryan Garcia in a 136-pound bout on April 15 in Las Vegas.
Vasiliy Lomachenko – Scheduled to challenge undisputed 135-pound champion Devin Haney on May 20 in Las Vegas.
Artur Beterbiev – Reportedly in talks to face No. 5 Dmitry Bivol in a 175-pound title-unification fight as early but no agreement is in place.
Shakur Stevenson – Scheduled to face Shuichiro Yoshino in a 135-pound bout on April 8 in Newark, New Jersey.
Roman Gonzalez –No fight scheduled.
Devin Haney – Scheduled to defend his undisputed 135-pound championship against Vasiliy Lomachenko on May 20 in Las Vegas..
Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (no fight scheduled); Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Stephen Fulton Jr. (scheduled to defend his 122-pound title against No. 2 Naoya Inoue on July 25 in Tokyo); Kazuto Ioka (reportedly scheduled to challenge 115-pound titleholder Joshua Franco in June in Japan but no announcement has been made); Josh Taylor (reportedly will defend his WBO 140-pound title against Teofimo Lopez on June 10 in New York but no announcement has been made).
Fighter of the Month: David Benavidez shined brighter than ever in his dominating victory over Caleb Plant.
Another month, another tough decision.
At least three fighters deserved consideration for the Boxing Junkie Fighter of the Month for March.
Bruising featherweight contender Brandon Figueroa looked like a threat to anyone in his unanimous decision victory over Mark Magsayo on March 4. And junior middleweight Tim Tszyu bolstered his No. 1 contender status in a convincing victory over Tony Harrison on March 12.
Caleb Plant was beaten up by David Benavidez. Joe Camporeale / USA TODAY Sports
However, no one made a stronger statement than David Benavidez, who chased down elusive Caleb Plant, beat him up and won a wide unanimous decision in a 12-round 168-pound fight last Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The athletic Plant presented problems in the first half of the bout with his stick-and-move tactics, as many expected. But Benavidez methodically, intelligently closed the distance in spite of an oversized ring, started landing damaging punches by mid-fight and broke down Plant.
The fact the loser survived to hear the final bell doesn’t detract from Benavidez’s performance one iota; Plant had taken a thorough beating by the end of the fight.
And Benavidez almost certainly would’ve scored a knockout had Plant not been allowed by referee Kenny Bayless to hold incessantly, which, combined with Plant’s movement, limited the winner’s punch output.
The tactic didn’t affect Benavidez’s accuracy. The most-precise puncher in the sport landed a strong 38.1% of his shots overall and an eye-catching 43.0% of his power punches, according to CompuBox. Conversely, Plant landed a paltry 14.6% of his punches, evidence of Benavidez’s defensive abilities.
Get the picture? Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs) dominated arguably the toughest opponent of his decade-long career to leave no doubt that he’s among the best fighters in the world. And only getting better.
Plant said what everyone was thinking afterward: “He’s a helluva fighter.”
Can Benavidez beat undisputed 168-pound champion Canelo Alvarez?
Only a fight between the two could provide an answer to that question. One thing is certain: Benavidez deserves the opportunity to challenge the Mexican star now more than ever.
Fighter of the Month: David Benavidez shined brighter than ever in his dominating victory over Caleb Plant.
Another month, another tough decision.
At least three fighters deserved consideration for the Boxing Junkie Fighter of the Month for March.
Bruising featherweight contender Brandon Figueroa looked like a threat to anyone in his unanimous decision victory over Mark Magsayo on March 4. And junior middleweight Tim Tszyu bolstered his No. 1 contender status in a convincing victory over Tony Harrison on March 12.
Caleb Plant was beaten up by David Benavidez. Joe Camporeale / USA TODAY Sports
However, no one made a stronger statement than David Benavidez, who chased down elusive Caleb Plant, beat him up and won a wide unanimous decision in a 12-round 168-pound fight last Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The athletic Plant presented problems in the first half of the bout with his stick-and-move tactics, as many expected. But Benavidez methodically, intelligently closed the distance in spite of an oversized ring, started landing damaging punches by mid-fight and broke down Plant.
The fact the loser survived to hear the final bell doesn’t detract from Benavidez’s performance one iota; Plant had taken a thorough beating by the end of the fight.
And Benavidez almost certainly would’ve scored a knockout had Plant not been allowed by referee Kenny Bayless to hold incessantly, which, combined with Plant’s movement, limited the winner’s punch output.
The tactic didn’t affect Benavidez’s accuracy. The most-precise puncher in the sport landed a strong 38.1% of his shots overall and an eye-catching 43.0% of his power punches, according to CompuBox. Conversely, Plant landed a paltry 14.6% of his punches, evidence of Benavidez’s defensive abilities.
Get the picture? Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs) dominated arguably the toughest opponent of his decade-long career to leave no doubt that he’s among the best fighters in the world. And only getting better.
Plant said what everyone was thinking afterward: “He’s a helluva fighter.”
Can Benavidez beat undisputed 168-pound champion Canelo Alvarez?
Only a fight between the two could provide an answer to that question. One thing is certain: Benavidez deserves the opportunity to challenge the Mexican star now more than ever.
Weekend Review: David Benavidez put Canelo Alvarez on notice with a dominating victory over Caleb Plant on Saturday in Las Vegas.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGGEST WINNER David Benavidez
Benavidez was Benavidez in the end, a dogged, merciless hunter who almost always bags his prey. Caleb Plant was effective early, sticking, moving, holding, doing whatever it took to blunt Benavidez attack and land enough punches to win rounds. That worked only so long, however. Benavidez continued to stalk his rival and gradually closed the distance in spite of an oversized ring, which allowed him to begin landing an assortment of damaging blows that broke down Plant and resulted in a unanimous decision victory Saturday at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The winner’s knockout streak ended at six but he couldn’t have been more dominating down the stretch, winning the last seven rounds on all three cards and outlanding Plant 161-46 in the last six, according to CompuBox. It was arguably the most impressive performance in Benavidez’s career given Plant’s ability and an indication that he is ready to face anyone, including undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez. Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs) is a better boxer than he might seem to be and a physical freak, which might make him unstoppable. And remember: He’s only 26. He’s probably getting better and better. Frightening thought, huh?
BIGGEST LOSER Caleb Plant
Caleb Plant took a beating from David Benavidez. Joe Camporeale / USA TODAY Sports
Plant had the right game plan. Get in, get out, move the feet and hold when necessary. Those tactics had the Tennessean leading on the scorecards after the first six rounds and in position to deliver a significant upset. Team Plant couldn’t have been more optimistic halfway through the fight. Then things went south. Plant simply didn’t have the wherewithal to withstand the pressure of a particularly good, powerful opponent and faded badly as the fight progressed. We saw that when he fought Alvarez, who stopped him in the 11th round. And we saw it again on Saturday night. Benavidez outlanded him by an average of 17.5-7.6 per round, including the rounds Plant won. Plant landed only 14.6% of his punches, which says something about his limitations and Benavidez defensive skills. The CompuBox numbers aren’t official but they underscore the loser’s ineffectiveness. Plant (22-2, 13 KOs) is a fine, but limited boxer with average punching power who appears to have hit a ceiling. He can beat the Jose Uzcateguis and Anthony Dirrells of the world but not next-level, pound-for-pound-caliber opponents.
WORST DECISION? Chris Colbert UD Jose Valenzuela
The decision wasn’t outrageous but Colbert was definitely fortunate to emerge victorious over Valenzuela on the Benavidez-Plant card. All three judges had the same score after the 10-round 135-pound bout, 95-94, six rounds to four for Colbert (17-1, 6 KOs). Valenzuela won the first round, during which he put Colbert down. That means the judges gave Colbert six of the final nine rounds. That’s hard to swallow. Colbert rebounded from the knockdown to make the fight competitive, landing quick, accurate jabs and combinations at times. However, Valenzuela kept the pressure on Colbert and seemed to land many more power punches than his opponent. That’s why I scored it 96-93 for Valenzuela, six rounds to four in his favor. The Mexican had reason to be upset afterward, particularly because he’s now saddled with consecutive losses. The good news for Valenzuela (12-2, 8 KOs) is that we saw what we saw, a good performance against a good opponent. He’ll be fine. And Colbert, also coming off a setback, took a step in the right direction – even if he didn’t earn it.
BIGGEST WINNER II Jose Ramirez
We shouldn’t read too much into Ramirez’s 11th-round knockout of Richard Commey on Saturday in Fresno, California, because of Commey’s limitations. The Ghanaian is 0-2-1 in his last three fights and 1-3-1 in his last five. That said, Ramirez looked sharp even though he hadn’t fought in a year, attacking Commey from the outset with passion and efficiency. And he punctuated the strong performance by putting Commey (30-5-1, 27 KOs) down twice in the penultimate round, the second time with a vicious hook to the body that forced him to take a knee and then quit. That’s how you make a statement. Ramirez (28-1, 18 KOs) has now won two consecutive fights since he lost a close decision to Josh Taylor in 2021, which cost him his two world titles. He seems to be back to form. What’s next? He’d like to challenge WBC titleholder Regis Prograis, although he recently passed up a chance to face the champion. Ramirez objected to a 65%-35% purse split in Prograis’ favor mandated by the WBC, which does seem to be overly lopsided given Ramirez’s reputation. We’ll see how this plays out.
RABBIT PUNCHES
The Benavidez-Plant fight was frustrating in a number of respects. First, the ring was a sprawling 22 feet-by-22 feet instead of the standard 20-by-20 in Nevada, as per Plant’s demand during negotiations. He wanted more room to move. Benavidez should be applauded for agreeing to the unusual stipulation; it says a lot about his confidence. However, I was surprised that Nevada officials agreed to it. I always thought they were firm on ring size in the name of consistency. I hope they don’t hand one fighter such a significant advantage again even though it didn’t save Plant in this case. Second, referee Kenny Bayless was awful. Plant’s holding was beyond excessive and Bayless evidently didn’t issue a single warning. He stopped the action to have a doctor look at Plant’s cut in the eighth round even though Benavidez had him hurt, which gave Plant time to recover. And, generally, he was overly intrusive. In other words, he committed the cardinal sin: He became a big part of the story. … For the record: Plant was smart to hold. Bayless just shouldn’t have allowed him to do it as much as he did. … Alvarez appears to be targeting a rematch with Dmitry Bivol in September, assuming the Mexican star beats John Ryder on May 6. He wants to avenge his loss, which is understandable. I hope Alvarez changes his mind and faces Benavidez instead. Boxers always say they want to give the fans the fights they want to see. The fans want Alvarez-Benavidez, not Alvarez-Bivol II. Who wins if it happens? I like Benavidez, even against an Alvarez who is 100% healthy. …
Colbert moved up from 130 pounds to 135 for his fight with Valenzuela. It appeared in the early rounds that Valenzuela, a lightweight since 2020, might be too big and powerful for Colbert. However, after the first round, he took everything that was thrown at him – including many punishing blows — and finished the fight on his feet. Still, he said going into the fight that he planned to move back down to the more natural 130 in an effort to win a major title there. Good idea. It’s difficult to be competitive when you’re the smaller, weaker guy. … Junior middleweight contender Jesus Ramos (20-0, 16 KOs) overwhelmed previously unbeaten Joey Spencer (16-1, 10 KOs) on the Benavidez-Plant card, stopping Spencer in the seventh round as a result of an accumulation of punches. Ramos put Spencer down late in the opening round and more or less landed at will after that, leading Spencer’s cornermen to stop the fight to save their man from getting seriously injured. We shouldn’t’ get carried away with Ramos victory because Spencer was unproven but he looked scary. First, he seemed to be a division or two bigger than Spencer even though he moved up to 154 only two years ago. And, second, his efficient, methodical destruction of yet another opponent once again belied his youth. He’s only 22. I want to see Ramos against a top contender before making any bold statements about him but his ceiling certainly appears to be high. … Seniesa Estrada (24-0, 9 KOs) demonstrated again that she’s one of the best in the business, shutting out Tina Rupprecht (12-1-1, 3 KOs) to unify two 105-pound titles on the Ramirez-Commey card. All three judges scored it 100-90, 10 rounds to none. The Los Angeles native’s goal is to become undisputed champion, which means she’ll now target the holder of the other two major belts, Yokasta Valle (28-2, 9 KOs).
Weekend Review: David Benavidez put Canelo Alvarez on notice with a dominating victory over Caleb Plant on Saturday in Las Vegas.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGGEST WINNER David Benavidez
Benavidez was Benavidez in the end, a dogged, merciless hunter who almost always bags his prey. Caleb Plant was effective early, sticking, moving, holding, doing whatever it took to blunt Benavidez attack and land enough punches to win rounds. That worked only so long, however. Benavidez continued to stalk his rival and gradually closed the distance in spite of an oversized ring, which allowed him to begin landing an assortment of damaging blows that broke down Plant and resulted in a unanimous decision victory Saturday at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The winner’s knockout streak ended at six but he couldn’t have been more dominating down the stretch, winning the last seven rounds on all three cards and outlanding Plant 161-46 in the last six, according to CompuBox. It was arguably the most impressive performance in Benavidez’s career given Plant’s ability and an indication that he is ready to face anyone, including undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez. Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs) is a better boxer than he might seem to be and a physical freak, which might make him unstoppable. And remember: He’s only 26. He’s probably getting better and better. Frightening thought, huh?
BIGGEST LOSER Caleb Plant
Caleb Plant took a beating from David Benavidez. Joe Camporeale / USA TODAY Sports
Plant had the right game plan. Get in, get out, move the feet and hold when necessary. Those tactics had the Tennessean leading on the scorecards after the first six rounds and in position to deliver a significant upset. Team Plant couldn’t have been more optimistic halfway through the fight. Then things went south. Plant simply didn’t have the wherewithal to withstand the pressure of a particularly good, powerful opponent and faded badly as the fight progressed. We saw that when he fought Alvarez, who stopped him in the 11th round. And we saw it again on Saturday night. Benavidez outlanded him by an average of 17.5-7.6 per round, including the rounds Plant won. Plant landed only 14.6% of his punches, which says something about his limitations and Benavidez defensive skills. The CompuBox numbers aren’t official but they underscore the loser’s ineffectiveness. Plant (22-2, 13 KOs) is a fine, but limited boxer with average punching power who appears to have hit a ceiling. He can beat the Jose Uzcateguis and Anthony Dirrells of the world but not next-level, pound-for-pound-caliber opponents.
WORST DECISION? Chris Colbert UD Jose Valenzuela
The decision wasn’t outrageous but Colbert was definitely fortunate to emerge victorious over Valenzuela on the Benavidez-Plant card. All three judges had the same score after the 10-round 135-pound bout, 95-94, six rounds to four for Colbert (17-1, 6 KOs). Valenzuela won the first round, during which he put Colbert down. That means the judges gave Colbert six of the final nine rounds. That’s hard to swallow. Colbert rebounded from the knockdown to make the fight competitive, landing quick, accurate jabs and combinations at times. However, Valenzuela kept the pressure on Colbert and seemed to land many more power punches than his opponent. That’s why I scored it 96-93 for Valenzuela, six rounds to four in his favor. The Mexican had reason to be upset afterward, particularly because he’s now saddled with consecutive losses. The good news for Valenzuela (12-2, 8 KOs) is that we saw what we saw, a good performance against a good opponent. He’ll be fine. And Colbert, also coming off a setback, took a step in the right direction – even if he didn’t earn it.
BIGGEST WINNER II Jose Ramirez
We shouldn’t read too much into Ramirez’s 11th-round knockout of Richard Commey on Saturday in Fresno, California, because of Commey’s limitations. The Ghanaian is 0-2-1 in his last three fights and 1-3-1 in his last five. That said, Ramirez looked sharp even though he hadn’t fought in a year, attacking Commey from the outset with passion and efficiency. And he punctuated the strong performance by putting Commey (30-5-1, 27 KOs) down twice in the penultimate round, the second time with a vicious hook to the body that forced him to take a knee and then quit. That’s how you make a statement. Ramirez (28-1, 18 KOs) has now won two consecutive fights since he lost a close decision to Josh Taylor in 2021, which cost him his two world titles. He seems to be back to form. What’s next? He’d like to challenge WBC titleholder Regis Prograis, although he recently passed up a chance to face the champion. Ramirez objected to a 65%-35% purse split in Prograis’ favor mandated by the WBC, which does seem to be overly lopsided given Ramirez’s reputation. We’ll see how this plays out.
RABBIT PUNCHES
The Benavidez-Plant fight was frustrating in a number of respects. First, the ring was a sprawling 22 feet-by-22 feet instead of the standard 20-by-20 in Nevada, as per Plant’s demand during negotiations. He wanted more room to move. Benavidez should be applauded for agreeing to the unusual stipulation; it says a lot about his confidence. However, I was surprised that Nevada officials agreed to it. I always thought they were firm on ring size in the name of consistency. I hope they don’t hand one fighter such a significant advantage again even though it didn’t save Plant in this case. Second, referee Kenny Bayless was awful. Plant’s holding was beyond excessive and Bayless evidently didn’t issue a single warning. He stopped the action to have a doctor look at Plant’s cut in the eighth round even though Benavidez had him hurt, which gave Plant time to recover. And, generally, he was overly intrusive. In other words, he committed the cardinal sin: He became a big part of the story. … For the record: Plant was smart to hold. Bayless just shouldn’t have allowed him to do it as much as he did. … Alvarez appears to be targeting a rematch with Dmitry Bivol in September, assuming the Mexican star beats John Ryder on May 6. He wants to avenge his loss, which is understandable. I hope Alvarez changes his mind and faces Benavidez instead. Boxers always say they want to give the fans the fights they want to see. The fans want Alvarez-Benavidez, not Alvarez-Bivol II. Who wins if it happens? I like Benavidez, even against an Alvarez who is 100% healthy. …
Colbert moved up from 130 pounds to 135 for his fight with Valenzuela. It appeared in the early rounds that Valenzuela, a lightweight since 2020, might be too big and powerful for Colbert. However, after the first round, he took everything that was thrown at him – including many punishing blows — and finished the fight on his feet. Still, he said going into the fight that he planned to move back down to the more natural 130 in an effort to win a major title there. Good idea. It’s difficult to be competitive when you’re the smaller, weaker guy. … Junior middleweight contender Jesus Ramos (20-0, 16 KOs) overwhelmed previously unbeaten Joey Spencer (16-1, 10 KOs) on the Benavidez-Plant card, stopping Spencer in the seventh round as a result of an accumulation of punches. Ramos put Spencer down late in the opening round and more or less landed at will after that, leading Spencer’s cornermen to stop the fight to save their man from getting seriously injured. We shouldn’t’ get carried away with Ramos victory because Spencer was unproven but he looked scary. First, he seemed to be a division or two bigger than Spencer even though he moved up to 154 only two years ago. And, second, his efficient, methodical destruction of yet another opponent once again belied his youth. He’s only 22. I want to see Ramos against a top contender before making any bold statements about him but his ceiling certainly appears to be high. … Seniesa Estrada (24-0, 9 KOs) demonstrated again that she’s one of the best in the business, shutting out Tina Rupprecht (12-1-1, 3 KOs) to unify two 105-pound titles on the Ramirez-Commey card. All three judges scored it 100-90, 10 rounds to none. The Los Angeles native’s goal is to become undisputed champion, which means she’ll now target the holder of the other two major belts, Yokasta Valle (28-2, 9 KOs).
David Benavidez defeated Caleb Plant by a unanimous decision in a pivotal 12-round 168-pound fight Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Here are images from the fight. All photos by Joe Camporeale / USA TODAY Sports.
David Benavidez defeated Caleb Plant by a unanimous decision in a pivotal 12-round 168-pound fight Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Here are images from the fight. All photos by Joe Camporeale / USA TODAY Sports.
David Benavidez defeated Caleb Plant by a unanimous decision in a pivotal 12-round 168-pound fight Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Here are images from the fight. All photos by Joe Camporeale / USA TODAY Sports.
David Benavidez defeated Caleb Plant by a unanimous decision in a pivotal 12-round 168-pound fight Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Here are images from the fight. All photos by Joe Camporeale / USA TODAY Sports.
David Benavidez chased down and beat up Caleb Plant to win a wide decision in their 168-pound showdown Saturday in Las Vegas.
All David Benavidez needed was time.
Caleb Plant danced and held his way to an early lead but Benavidez caught up to him, beat him up and ran away with a unanimous decision victory in their 168-pound showdown Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
In the process, Benavidez left no doubt that he’s the biggest threat to undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez. Benavidez wants that fight – badly.
“I have a lot of respect for Canelo Alvarez,” Plant said in the ring after his victory, “but he has to give me that shot now. It’s what everybody wants see, me versus Canelo. Let’s make it happen in September.”
Alvarez might not be in a hurry to accommodate Benavidez after what transpired on Saturday.
Plant (22-2, 13 KOs) looked sharp early in the fight, taking advantage of the oversized ring he demanded by getting close enough to his powerful opponent to land punches here and there and then either moving out of harm’s way or holding, which was his greatest weapon in the end.
Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs) stalked the quick, athletic Plant but had difficulty cutting off the ring. Plant led on all three cards halfway through the fight and appeared to be in a strong position to pull off an upset.
However, by Round 6, Benavidez began to close the distance and land hard punches to both the head and body. And he connected on more and more as the fight progressed, which word Plant down and forced him to hold incessantly merely to survive.
Plant’s co-trainer Stephen “Breadman” Edwards told Plant late in the fight that he wanted to see more from his protégé or he’d save him from himself.
The loser fought with courage until the final bell, holding his own in the final round even though he was badly beaten and blood from a cut suffered in Round 8 obscured his vision. However, Benavidez had run away with the fight.
The official scores were 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113. All three judges gave Benavidez Rounds 6 through 12, a clear indication of his dominance in the second half of what became a brutal beat down.
Boxing Junkie scored it 116-112 for Benavidez, eight rounds to four.
Benavidez didn’t throw as many punches as he typically does, which is attributable at least in part to Plant’s reluctance to engage him. At the same time, he made the ones he threw count: He connected on a healthy 43% of his power shots, according to CompuBox.
There wasn’t much Plant could say afterward.
“No excuses. David was the better man,” he said.
Now Benavidez must wait and hope that his Mexican rival is willing to step into the ring with him.
Alvarez, who stopped Plant in 11 rounds in 2021, is scheduled to face John Ryder in a homecoming fight on May 6 in Guadalajara, Mexico. Then he’s expected to seek a rematch with his conqueror and 175-pound champion Dmitry Bivol in September, although nothing is set.
Benavidez was asked whether he believes Alvarez is avoiding him. He answered in the negative.
“I just believe that he has a lot of options,” he said. “Now fans are calling for this fight, the legends are calling for this fight. So let’s make it happen.”
