This afternoon, American “Red Flag” David Benavídez (29-0, 24 KOs) secured a victory over former WBC light heavyweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramírez (20-2, 16 KOs) by unanimous decision with scores of 116-112, 117-111, and 119-109 in a 12-round bout, capturing the vacant WBC interim light heavyweight title.
In his post-fight comments, Benavídez said, “To be honest, if I had to rate myself out of ten, I’d give myself a seven. Ramírez is an excellent fighter, a genuine former world champion and Olympic boxer. I still aspire to return to super middleweight and challenge for a world title. If I could get a fight against Canelo Álvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs), that would be great. If he doesn’t want to fight or gives up his belt, I’ll go for the vacant WBC world championship again.”
Despite the 27-year-old Benavídez’s win, his performance against the faded Ramírez was not dominant, with no knockdowns throughout the match. It also highlighted a somewhat one-dimensional style and a lack of consecutive combinations.
If Benavídez returns to 168 pounds, he could very well regain his status as a world champion at super middleweight, potentially even defeating the aging Álvarez. However, if he stays at 175 pounds, encounters with Artur Beterbiev (23-0, 12 KOs) or Dmitry Bivol (20-0, 12 KOs) might well hand him his first professional loss.
David Benavídez Favors Returning to Super Middleweight. Author：Sports UEFA.Please indicate the source when reproduced：https://www.sportsuefa.com/boxing-zone/7810.html
