David Benavidez is predicting he’s going to steal the present from the primary occasion struggle by knocking out his opponent Oleksandr Gvozdyk of their chief assist bout tonight of their conflict for the WBC interim mild heavyweight title on the MGM Grand Backyard Enviornment in Las Vegas.
Whereas Benavidez (28-0, 24 KOs) is respectful of Gvozdyk’s expertise and his accomplishments throughout his newbie and professional profession, he feels it’s his future to win, look nice, and steal the thunder from the Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs. Frank Martin headliner.
Contemplating that Tank-Martin is anticipated to be a blowout win for Tank, there’s a superb likelihood Benavidez may have the efficiency of the evening if his energy carries as much as the 175-lb division towards Gvozdyk (20-1, 16 KOs), who’s a greater puncher than him.
Benavidez has the work fee, pace, and youth benefit over the 37-year-old former WBC mild heavyweight champion Gvozdyk.
“I educated very nicely for Oleksandr Gvozdyk. He was a embellished newbie and has a medal within the Olympics. He’s a person with nice expertise,” mentioned David Benavidez to First Take. “For this struggle, I educated for 4 months in my coaching camp. I’m seeking to steal the present and get a knockout of Oleksandr Gvozdyk.
A Promise to Steal the Present
“I’m going to go in there and steal the present. I’m going to go in there and knock out Oleksandr Gvozdyk,” mentioned Benavidez.
Benavidez, 27, ought to keep away from getting caught up in making an attempt to impress an excessive amount of on this struggle as a result of Gvozdyk can explode with highly effective combos and finish a struggle shortly.
We noticed him do this towards Adonis Stevenson, and he’s seemed harmful in his final two fights, scoring fast knockouts.
“I don’t suppose David’s punching energy goes to be an issue. I don’t suppose David’s stress goes to be an issue,” mentioned tremendous middleweight Lionell ‘Lonnie B’ Thompson to Fighthype about his perception that Gvozdyk will defeat Benavidez.
Benavidez Has Been “Protected Higher”
“I don’t suppose David’s expertise might be an issue. I feel he has far more expertise than David. I simply suppose David has been protected higher. From what I’ve seen of each fighters after they struggle, I bought him beating David.”
Gvozdyk does have higher expertise than Benavidez, and he’s been educated with the very best from his newbie days in Ukraine. Benavidez has gotten away with utilizing his measurement and quantity. He hasn’t needed to develop his technical expertise as a result of he’s been a lot greater than his opposition at 168, and he’s confronted lesser opposition.
As Lonnie B factors out, Benavidez has been “Protected” higher by his administration than Gvozdyk has.
What he means by that’s Benavidez hasn’t purposefully matched towards guys like David Lemieux, Demetrius Andrade, and Caleb Plant moderately than preventing gifted opposition like David Morrell, Artur Beterbiev, Jai Opetaia, and Dmitry Bivol. Benavidez is arguably a advertising and marketing creation like many fighters, who spoon-fed winnable fights to show them into pretend stars.
Boxing is a enterprise, and it’s the promoters’ job to create fighters to attract with a sure demographic. It will assist if a fighter may turn out to be a crossover star like Oscar De La Hoya, however he had actual expertise and fought the very best his complete profession.
Benavidez is a fighter who has fought exterior of his pure weight class, mild heavyweight and matched towards beatable fighters to make him look higher than he’s.
“David is used to preventing blown up 154 and 160-pounders and being snug in fights,” mentioned Lonnie B. “He’s so massive and so tall. These guys he’s preventing are my top and smaller than me. He’s used to being snug strolling guys down, proper hand. ‘You going to get drained, you too small.”
Benavidez has had the dimensions benefit towards everybody he’s fought throughout his profession, and it was fascinating to see him lastly going through somebody as massive as him. He seemed intimidated on Friday, staring throughout at Gvozdyk. You possibly can see it in Benavidez’s eyes him considering, ‘Man, I may lose this struggle.’
Gvozdyk’s Energy
“Now, he’s preventing somebody his measurement, massive and may punch. He’s going to must put out some work,” mentioned Lonnie B. “He’s going to have to come back out of his shell and struggle. This proper right here along with his protection. He’s going to must do one thing completely different.”
Benavidez at all times walks his opponents down behind a excessive guard and throws a straight proper adopted by a left hook. He’ll then rattle off a rapid-fire mixture, and it really works towards the opposition his administration has fed him each time.
“Gvozdyk can punch, and he’s large enough to maintain David off. He’s been hit with guys that may punch higher than David, and he’s fought guys approach higher than him. Do you suppose Benavidez punches tougher than Adonis Stevenson? Do you suppose Benavidez punches tougher than Beterbiev?” mentioned Lonnie B.
