Jim Lampley, the previous HBO commentator, says David Benavidez will now be an underdog in opposition to WBA mild heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol primarily based on his efficiency final Saturday night time in opposition to Oleksandr Gvozdyk in Las Vegas.
(Picture 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 mild 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 pale within the second half of the competition.
Benavidez nonetheless emerged victorious, profitable 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 individuals consider he has any probability of beating Bivol or IBF/WBC/WBO mild heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev.
Benavidez’s Possibilities Towards Bivol and Beterbiev
Lampley stated that he received’t even point out Beterbiev, which means he doesn’t see Benavidez standing any probability of beating him. That’s how followers view it after watching how ineffective Benavidez appeared in opposition to the 37-year-old Gvozdyk, a fighter Beterbiev knocked out 5 years in the past and despatched into retirement.
“I definitely suppose if Benavidez doesn’t get a combat 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 probabilities in opposition to WBA mild 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 primarily based on what we noticed. He’s obtained to hope that Canelo Alvarez will change his thoughts and resolve to combat 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 combat in opposition to Benavidez as a result of he’s talked an excessive amount of trash about him in the previous couple of years.
Canelo received’t get any credit score if he beats Benavidez now as a result of followers noticed how poor he appeared in opposition to Gvozyk, and lots of of them now view him as a hype job who constructed his resume off of fastidiously picked opponents.
“I predicted a knockout for Benavidez, and within the early rounds, I assumed that was what I used to be going to see [against Gvozdyk], after which he appeared to fade just a little bit in opposition to a very good skilled veteran fighter with quite a bit to combat for,” stated Lampley.
The previous HBO play-by-play host Lampley ought to have recognized 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 probability that he would get away with combating that approach in opposition to Gvozdyk, whose technical expertise and energy had been good for him to arrange store standing in entrance of him, throwing nonstop punches the best way he’d completed 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 short-term storm and go away with a choice victory,” stated Lampley.
“I feel he slowed sufficient within the second half of the combat the place Canelo will wish to study the cash and see precisely how a lot it’s price 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 appeared 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 photographs.
“Possibly after taking a look at 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 feel there’s a chance right here for Canelo to suppose precisely that primarily based on what he noticed. Is Canelo a much bigger puncher than Oleksandr Gvozdyk? I feel he’s. There’s plenty of methods for Canelo to have a look at this and suppose, ‘I’m a favourite over David Benavidez,’” stated Lampley.
