Jim Lampley, the previous HBO commentator, says David Benavidez will now be an underdog in opposition to WBA gentle heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol based mostly on his efficiency final Saturday night time in opposition to Oleksandr Gvozdyk in Las Vegas.
(Photograph credit score: Esther Lin/Premier Boxing Champions)
Benavidez’s Restricted Choices
Lampley feels that Benavidez’s choices are restricted after he struggled in opposition to the previous WBC gentle heavyweight champion Gvozdyk (20-2, 16 KOs). He notes that Benavidez’s energy wasn’t as efficient at 175 because it had been at 168, and he light within the second half of the competition.
Benavidez nonetheless emerged victorious, successful a 12-round unanimous determination by the scores of 116-112, 117-111, and 119-109.
Benavidez’s efficiency didn’t match the judges’ rating, and few folks consider he has any likelihood of beating Bivol or IBF/WBC/WBO gentle heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev.
Benavidez’s Possibilities In opposition to Bivol and Beterbiev
Lampley stated that he received’t even point out Beterbiev, that means he doesn’t see Benavidez standing any likelihood of beating him. That’s how followers view it after watching how ineffective Benavidez regarded in opposition to the 37-year-old Gvozdyk, a fighter Beterbiev knocked out 5 years in the past and despatched into retirement.
“I actually suppose if Benavidez doesn’t get a battle in opposition to Canelo, he’s an underdog in opposition to Dmitry Bivol, and we’re not even going to speak about Beterbiev,” stated analyst Jim Lampley to Sean Zittel, discussing David Benavidez’s possibilities in opposition to WBA gentle heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol after his less-than-spectacular efficiency in his debut at 175 in opposition to former WBC champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk final Saturday night time.
Canelo Alvarez: A Potential Alternative?
“David Benavidez’s choices are considerably restricted based mostly on what we noticed. He’s obtained to hope that Canelo Alvarez will change his thoughts and resolve to battle him. Possibly he’ll like what he noticed from a 168-lb fighter who moved as much as 175 and didn’t have as a lot pop as many individuals anticipated, together with me.”
I don’t suppose Canelo goes to vary his thoughts about wanting $200 million for a battle in opposition to Benavidez as a result of he’s talked an excessive amount of trash about him in the previous few years.
Canelo received’t get any credit score if he beats Benavidez now as a result of followers noticed how poor he regarded in opposition to Gvozyk, and lots of of them now view him as a hype job who constructed his resume off of rigorously picked opponents.
“I predicted a knockout for Benavidez, and within the early rounds, I believed that was what I used to be going to see [against Gvozdyk], after which he appeared to fade a little bit bit in opposition to a very good skilled veteran fighter with so much to battle for,” stated Lampley.
The previous HBO play-by-play host Lampley ought to have identified higher than to select Benavidez to knockout Gvozdyk as a result of that might by no means occur.
Benavidez is a quantity puncher, and there was no likelihood that he would get away with combating that manner in opposition to Gvozdyk, whose technical abilities and energy had been good for him to arrange store standing in entrance of him, throwing nonstop punches the best way he’d achieved at 168 in opposition to marginal opposition.
“Possibly the seven kilos made a distinction in how heavy David’s punches had been, and he needed to climate the non permanent storm and go away with a call victory,” stated Lampley.
“I believe he slowed sufficient within the second half of the battle the place Canelo will need to study the cash and see precisely how a lot it’s value to him to go in and take no matter threat inherent in combating David Benavidez.”
Benavidez began slowing after the fourth spherical final Saturday night time and regarded exhausted and weak. His energy was by no means there from spherical one, however that wasn’t a shock as a result of Benavidez has by no means been a puncher at 168. His knockouts have principally come from his quantity punching, hitting his opponents with an accumulation of pictures.
“Possibly after him, he’ll suppose, ‘There’s no threat in any respect. I’m Canelo Alvarez. I’ve essentially the most confirmed punch resistance within the sport. He’s not going to harm me,’” stated Lampley.
“I believe there’s a possibility right here for Canelo to suppose precisely that based mostly on what he noticed. Is Canelo a much bigger puncher than Oleksandr Gvozdyk? I believe he’s. There’s plenty of methods for Canelo to take a look at this and suppose, ‘I’m a favourite over David Benavidez,’” stated Lampley.
