David Benavidez is boxing’s equal to a BMF, an honorific title that the Final Preventing Championship awards to ‘Unhealthy Mom F——’ in its roster. The extra Alan Dawson speaks to Benavidez, although, the extra he learns he’s much more than the acronym suggests.
It’s late November on the Michelob Extremely Enviornment in Las Vegas, and David Benavidez is inflicting a signature pummeling in opposition to Demetrius Andrade — one of many trickiest opponents of his profession.
Although Andrade began the struggle in high quality vogue, forcing Benavidez to show he has punch resistance to go with his attacking arsenal, ‘The Mexican Monster’ got here on sturdy, like he usually does, to bludgeon ‘Boo Boo’ with cruel, unrelenting punches.
The Andrade struggle cemented what ardent Benavidez followers, his promoter Sampson Lewkowicz, and people at Premier Boxing Champions have recognized and acknowledged for years — that that is one dangerous mom f—– within the ring — one whom has a troublesome combating fashion to defend in opposition to as he smothers opponents with a quantity of photographs that solely improve, worsen, and damage extra as every contest progresses.
The way in which he fights seems to be rooted within the ghosts of the Mexican Monster’s previous. A sufferer of childhood bullying, the haunting reminiscence of being referred to as the “fats child” when he reached 250 kilos as a teen continues to linger in his thoughts a few years later. Bullies instructed a center faculty David he’d by no means quantity to nothing. That he’d by no means be s—. The one manner he might silence them was by unfurling his fists into their face.
That mindset is one thing he refuses to bury regardless that he’s older now. At 27, he channels that adolescent anger at any time when he walks to the ring right now, no matter who’s in entrance of him when he will get within the center, digs his ft into the ground, and kilos his gloves able to commerce. It may very well be Plant, who he out-pointed in that brutal, bloody, beatdown. Or Andrade whom he overwhelmed and knocked out in a signature pummeling.
Although Benavidez is a monster within the ring, he’s something however that outdoors of it.
His public relations consultant Emily Pandelakis Girten is aware of that each one too properly, and posted on X, the social media web site previously generally known as Twitter, that Benavidez befriended a cancer-stricken teenage fan referred to as Joshua final summer season. The connection started with a video name.
When that first name linked, Benavidez noticed Joshua’s eyes mild up on his cell. “He was simply telling me he was an enormous fan, and I used to be telling him he was a powerful warrior,” Benavidez instructed World Boxing Information.
They met nose to nose for the primary time at that Andrade struggle, as Benavidez flew Joshua and his household out to Las Vegas for the occasion, paid for his or her lodge rooms, and received them tickets to the present, to see him carry out.
Benavidez instructed us he’ll cherish these moments perpetually. “Joshua, his brother, sister, and his household — they have been all superior. It was a good looking factor spending time with them on the Andrade struggle.”
It was stunning, Benavidez mentioned, but in addition emotional. “I’m not going to lie, all of us cried. He cried. I cried. I beloved sharing that second with him and his household, who have been all so completely happy to be there.”
On the eve of his twenty ninth struggle, it’s clear that Benavidez has reached rarified standing as a folks’s champion, attracting followers of all ages for a way he fights within the ring, and the person he’s grow to be outdoors of it.
Sure, he’s boxing’s closest equal to the Final Preventing Championship’s belt for Unhealthy Mom F—– athletes in its hulking roster; the BMF belt. Some fighters simply have it. That aura that resonates with folks in order that they grow to be a cult hero, of types, like Jorge Masvidal, Nate Diaz, and Max Holloway in blended martial arts. In boxing, that fighter is Benavidez.
However the story with Benavidez and Joshua reveals he’s way over that acronym.
Pandelakis Girten mentioned on X that the expertise Benavidez and Joshua shared was “pretty” they usually all stored in contact after the struggle. Joshua was even scholar of the month at his faculty in December.
Forward of Benavidez’s return to the ring Saturday in opposition to Oleksandr Gvozdyk, within the co-main occasion of a PBC on Prime Video and PPV.com present on the MGM Grand Backyard Enviornment in Las Vegas, the fighter once more deliberate to fly Joshua and his household to southern Nevada, pay for his or her lodging, and assign them VIP tickets to the occasion.
In mid-Might, although, Joshua, Pandelakis Girten mentioned, was bedridden, and sadly handed away to most cancers.
“I’m heartbroken,” Benavidez instructed World Boxing Information.
“He was such a candy child after I met him and I’m glad I had the chance to a minimum of convey him to one in all my fights, and to see him completely happy, and grateful, to make his desires come true.
“These final moments that I used to be with him, I used to be completely happy to share with him. When he died I used to be so unhappy. I used to be destroyed emotionally. We had talked a lot and he was such child.”
His promoter Sampson Lewkowicz knew all in regards to the relationship and heartbreak. “Fighters like Benavidez have coronary heart, serving to lots of youngsters. That’s the good about boxing,” he instructed World Boxing Information. “Fighters, and champions particularly, assist others. And it’s so candy for all these fighters that they try this.”
It reminded Lewkowicz of one other of his star performers having promoted 36 world champions by his profession.
Sergio ‘Maravilla’ Martinez, a middleweight king with an iconic knockout over Paul Williams, as soon as had a teammate translate an area newspaper to him in 2011, and discovered a couple of youngster who had been bullied at college. Monique McClain, 13 on the time, was pressured to depart her center faculty as a result of she was relentlessly stricken by classmates. Martinez invited them to a restaurant with him and his workforce, paid for his or her meals, and reserved VIP seats for them for his struggle in opposition to Sergiy Dzinziruk, which he gained by eighth spherical knockout. He even introduced them presents to indicate assist.
“Perhaps it occurs additionally in different sports activities,” Lewkowicz instructed us, “however my love is for boxing and it’s in boxing the place I see issues like this, champions — like Martinez, and like Benavidez — serving to youngsters. It’s a part of the sacrifice to stand up within the morning, run, shed sweat and blood within the fitness center, only for one night time. They deserve all of the respect that we may give to those fighters.”
Lewkowicz continued: “Monique is now a grown woman. And I consider they stored in contact for a lot of, a few years — even lengthy after Sergio retired.”
Lewkowicz mentioned he doesn’t advise his fighters to forge these relationships. “It comes from Sergio’s coronary heart. It comes from David’s coronary heart.”
Benavidez, World Boxing Information understands, will obtain $7 million for combating Gvozdyk. And although he attire properly, in workforce tracksuits and with jewellery, Lewkowicz mentioned that the fighter is aware of that Benavidez realizes it’s not all about costly garments or chains, however what you may give different folks.
“I’m so honored to work with folks like David,” he mentioned.
For Benavidez, his expertise with Joshua appears bittersweet with the loss of life nonetheless so current and lingering in his thoughts. It’s made him take into consideration life’s injustices.
“Each time when conditions like this occur to youngsters who’re actually good youngsters, it simply makes you consider life and the way it’s unfair,” he mentioned. “Generally that’s simply the way in which it goes, man.
“However I do know he’s up there, wanting down at his household, and defending them,” Benavidez mentioned.
“He’s an angel within the sky now.”
Alan Dawson is World Boxing Information Lead Author, a 2 x Sports activities Journalist of the 12 months finalist, and 5 x BWAA awards winner. Observe Alan @AlanDawsonSport.
