Jim Lampley, the previous HBO commentator, says David Benavidez will now be an underdog towards WBA gentle heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol based mostly on his efficiency final Saturday evening towards 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 towards 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, profitable a 12-round unanimous resolution by the scores of 116-112, 117-111, and 119-109.
Benavidez’s efficiency didn’t match the judges’ rating, and few individuals imagine he has any probability of beating Bivol or IBF/WBC/WBO gentle heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev.
Benavidez’s Possibilities In opposition to Bivol and Beterbiev
Lampley mentioned 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 regarded towards 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 struggle towards Canelo, he’s an underdog towards Dmitry Bivol, and we’re not even going to speak about Beterbiev,” mentioned analyst Jim Lampley to Sean Zittel, discussing David Benavidez’s probabilities towards WBA gentle heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol after his less-than-spectacular efficiency in his debut at 175 towards former WBC champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk final Saturday evening.
Canelo Alvarez: A Potential Alternative?
“David Benavidez’s choices are considerably restricted based mostly on what we noticed. He’s acquired to hope that Canelo Alvarez will change his thoughts and determine to struggle him. Perhaps 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 alter his thoughts about wanting $200 million for a struggle towards 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 regarded towards Gvozyk, and plenty 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 bit of bit towards a very good skilled veteran fighter with lots to struggle for,” mentioned Lampley.
The previous HBO play-by-play host Lampley ought to have recognized higher than to choose 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 means towards Gvozdyk, whose technical expertise and energy had been good for him to arrange store standing in entrance of him, throwing nonstop punches the way in which he’d carried out at 168 towards marginal opposition.
“Perhaps 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,” mentioned Lampley.
“I believe he slowed sufficient within the second half of the struggle the place Canelo will wish to look at 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 evening 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 largely come from his quantity punching, hitting his opponents with an accumulation of photographs.
“Perhaps after him, he’ll suppose, ‘There’s no threat in any respect. I’m Canelo Alvarez. I’ve probably the most confirmed punch resistance within the sport. He’s not going to harm me,’” mentioned Lampley.
“I believe there’s a chance 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 a whole lot of methods for Canelo to have a look at this and suppose, ‘I’m a favourite over David Benavidez,’” mentioned Lampley.
