Benavidez Shows Off His Raw Power – ‘The Real Deal’
David Benavidez has returned to training as the attention turns towards his next fight.
Reports indicate that Benavidez will box on December 14 in an Amazon Prime Video PPV. No opponent has been confirmed, but the Mexican Monster wants to remain active following his last fight. He won a unanimous decision win against Oleksandr Gvozdyk. This was the first time he boxed at light heavyweight.
Benavidez never looked like stopping Gvozdyk, as his punch power was less effective than at 168. However, he disclosed he injured his hand, which may have explained the lack of pop. He is now in a mandatory position for the Undisputed Light Heavyweight Championship. He will face either Artur Beterbiev or Dmitry Bivol, who fight for all the belts at 175.
Benavidez’s Options
“I want to make my own lane. That’s why I came up to 175. I’ve been trying to get that fight with Canelo for a long, long time. As you can see, I got the star power now. People love the way I fight and interact with me really well. That’d be a really big fight. I think everybody wins — the world of boxing wins, the fans win. It’s a fight that we got to get going on. If he really believes that he’s the best in the world, then come beat me and come shut me up. I’m going to keep showing you guys why I’m the ‘Mexican Monster,” Benavidez stated
Benavidez wants to stay sharp but avoid facing a risky opponent and getting beat. A fight with David Morrell Jr. is unlikely. The Cuban is a knockout artist with an 11-0 record, which includes nine stoppages. He also had his first fight at 175, beating Radivoje Kalajdzic via a unanimous decision. But Morrell offers nothing by way of belts.
He could box Callum Smith. The Brit is a former champion at 168, who has faced big opposition at 175. He faced Beterbiev in his last fight, but unfortunately, he was stopped. Smith may take that fight as questions remain over his future. A fight with Benavidez offers him a chance at getting another title shot. Meanwhile, Benavidez can face a fully-fledged 175 pounder.
Benavidez’s Training
There is also the possibility of facing Anthony Yarde. Yarde has faced several big names in the division, including Sergey Kovalev and Beterbiev. Yarde almost knocked out Kovalev in his own backyard before getting stopped. As for the Beterbiev fight, Yarde hurt the Russian repeatedly with his right hand. But Beterbiev walked his man down before Yarde’s team threw in the towel.
A Yarde fight gives Benavidez a chance to face a hungry fighter who has been in with the best. Benavidez has been working in the gym while waiting for the opponent. The video below shows the Mexican Monster throwing a variety of combinations on the pads. The focus is increasing power, which he hopes to translate into the weight class. Based on how he looked, fans were impressed by what they had seen.
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