David Benavidez didn’t shine in his win over Oleksandr Usyk final Saturday night time in his debut at gentle heavyweight on the MGM Grand Backyard Area in Las Vegas.
(Photograph credit score: Esther Lin/Premier Boxing Champions)
Energy Deficit Uncovered
By no means a giant puncher at 168, Benavidez’s energy, or lack thereof, was even much less in opposition to former WBC gentle heavyweight champion Gvozyk (20-2, 16 KOs).
He was compelled to grind out a tricky twelve-round determination in a struggle far nearer than the vast scores the judges turned in. They scored it for Benavidez 116-112, 117-111, and 119-109.
It’s truthful to say the judges might need had blinders on as a result of the struggle wasn’t lopsided in an actual sense. Benavidez barely one, and he confirmed no energy to talk of.
Social media followers noticed it razor shut, with many viewing it as a draw, which isn’t a very good signal for Benavidez, who envisions preventing for the undisputed championship at 175 in opposition to the winner of the October twelfth struggle between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
Potential Showdown with Morrell
In line with ESPN, Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) may face David Morrell within the fall, supplied the Cuban expertise efficiently defeats Radivoje Kalajdzic of their struggle on August third on the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
Morrell (10-0, 9 KOs) is making his debut at 175 in opposition to gentle heavyweight Kalajdzic in a ten-round struggle on the undercard of the Terence Crawford vs. Ismail Madrimov struggle,
With Morrell’s energy, which is near the identical degree as gentle heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev, Benavidez might be biting off greater than he can chew. Benavidez wants an actual take a look at at 175 to have any likelihood in opposition to Beterbiev or Bivol as a result of these guys are on one other degree than what he confirmed in opposition to the shopworn Gvozdyk.
Benavidez goes to want to assume arduous earlier than he takes the struggle with Morrell, because the 26-year-old Cuban hits rather a lot tougher than anybody he’s confronted, together with the 37-year-old Gvozdyk, and he’s able to knocking him out or ending his hype practice lifeless in its tracks.
If Benavidez will get weeded out by Morrell, it’s higher for the followers as a result of they should see the very best preventing for the undisputed at 175, and proper now, the Mexican Monster doesn’t look close to able to beating both of those champions.
Benavidez is undeserving of preventing for the undisputed with out going by means of Morrell, which, at this level, doesn’t appear seemingly.
The one factor that saved Gvozdyk from successful final Saturday night time in opposition to Benavidez was his lack of energy punching.
Though Gvozdyk was once a giant puncher, the 4 years he was out of the ring attributable to his retirement in 2019 had taken away his energy. He’s now only a boxer with a very good engine, and that was nearly sufficient for him to defeat Benavidez.
Benavidez has been obsessing about preventing Canelo Alvarez at 168, however that’s not taking place. The struggle that Benavidez, 27, could make now could be in opposition to the Beterbiev-Bivol winner, however he should make large enhancements in his energy and gasoline tank to win that struggle.
Benavidez Acknowledges His State of affairs
“I used to be making an attempt to get a really feel for the sunshine heavyweight division,” stated Benavidez after his win over Gvozdyk. “These guys, they hit just a little bit tougher up right here. Two weeks in the past, I suffered a reduce in my eye. I had a torn tendon on my proper hand, and I didn’t assume I used to be going to make it tonight, however we pushed by means of it.”
Benavidez’s energy was much like his fights at tremendous middleweight, and it was simply not sufficient for him to dominate at gentle heavyweight like he’d been doing in opposition to the fellows he’d been wiping out at 168.
It could be higher if Benavidez admitted that he doesn’t have the pop in his pictures at 175 quite than making damage excuses.
