David Benavidez's light heavyweight debut last Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas ended in a lackluster performance, with a win over Oleksandr Usyk.
(Photo by Esther Lin/Premier Boxing Champions)
Power shortages revealed
Never one to throw a hard punch at 168 pounds, Benavidez’s power, or lack thereof, was even less impressive against former WBC light heavyweight champion Gvozdyk (20-2, 16 KOs).
Benavidez was forced to win a tough 12-round decision that was much closer than the wide margin given by the judges, who scored the fight 116-112, 117-111 and 119-109 for Benavidez.
In fact, it's fair to say the judges were blindsided, as the fight was not one-sided at all: Benavidez was barely one-sided, but he showed no power.
Fans on social media saw the bout as a close draw, with many viewing it as a draw, which doesn't bode well for Benavidez, who expects to face the winner of the bout between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol on October 12 for the 175-pound undefeated title.
A possible showdown with Morel
According to ESPN, Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) could face David Morrell in the fall if he beats Radivoje Kalajdzic in a bout on Aug. 3 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
Morel (10-0, 9 KOs) will make his debut at 175 pounds in a 10-round bout against light heavyweight Karadzic on the undercard of the Terence Crawford vs. Ismail Madrimov fight.
Morel's power is almost on par with that of light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev, which could make things difficult for Benavidez, and if Benavidez wants to have a chance to beat Beterbiev or Bivol, he'll need to take a serious fight at 175 pounds, because those guys aren't the same level of strength Benavidez showed against veteran Gvozdyk.
Benavidez will need to think carefully before taking on Morel, as the 26-year-old Cuban has the punches to beat anyone he has faced so far, including the 37-year-old Gvozdyk, and the power to knock him out or end any hope of him getting out.
If Benavidez loses to Morel, it'll be a good thing for the fans, because they want to see the best fighters at 175 pounds compete for the undisputed title, and at this point, the Mexican monster doesn't look like he'll be able to beat either champion.
Benavidez wouldn't be eligible to fight for the unbeaten title without beating Morrell, but that doesn't look likely at this point.
The only reason Gvozdyk didn't beat Benavidez last Saturday night was because of a lack of punching power.
Gvozdyk used to be a hard-hitting puncher, but his four-year absence from the ring after retiring in 2019 has taken some of the power out of him. He's now just a boxer with a good engine, and that alone was enough to beat Benavidez.
Benavidez was attached to fight Canelo Alvarez at 168 pounds, but that never happened. The only fight the 27-year-old Benavidez can take now is against the winner of Beterbiev-Bivol, but he would need to significantly improve his power and strength to win that bout.
Benavidez acknowledges his situation
“I was just trying to get a feel for the light heavyweight division,” Benavidez said after his win over Gvozdyk. “The guys in this division are a little bit more aggressive. I got cut over the eye two weeks ago. I tore a tendon in my right hand so I didn't think I would make it tonight, but I pulled through.”
Benavidez's power was similar to what he displayed at super middleweight and it just wasn't enough to give him an advantage at light heavyweight against the opponents he had beaten at 168 pounds.
Rather than making the injury excuse, Benavidez would be better off admitting his shots just don’t have the momentum at 175 pounds.
