David Benavidez expects to make short work of Ronald Ellis
With his next fight date breathing down his neck, super middleweight boxer David “Red Flag” Benavidez (23-0, 20 KO’s) cannot wait for round one. On March 13, Benavidez will face the challenge of Ronald “Akeem” Ellis (18-1-2, 12 KO’s). It will be a quick turnaround for Ellis who was last in the ring almost three months to the day come fight night. In that last outing against Matvey Korobov, Ellis was the beneficiary of a fourth round freak ankle injury.
It was actually Korobov’s second consecutive bout called off due to some fluky injury. In his previous dustup with Chris Eubank Jr, the Russian’s body failed him at the shoulder. In just the second round he threw a straight left that ultimately tore his rotator cuff. Naturally, he immediately reacted as the impaired fighter that he was.
Referee Steve Willis quickly got the doctors involved and the bout was stopped in short order. Against Ellis, when their legs were awkwardly tangled, Korobov took a misstep and mashed his ankle up. Now, Benavidez says their fight will end by Ellis getting knocked out and nothing short of it.
NO RESPECT IN THE ROPES!
As is common among professional knuckle-chuckers, there is general respect for anyone that gets in the ring. When matched with another fighter however, that compassion will disappear faster than fidelity in a strip club. This same maxim is true of Benavidez and Ellis. Red Flag certainly has esteem for Akeem as a man and fighter, but once in the ring he has every intention on rag-dolling him.
“You know since I got suspended I’ve stopped everybody. I’ve stopped J’Leon Love, I’ve stopped [Anthony] Dirrell, I’ve stopped Roamer Angulo and I am going to stop Ronald Ellis…I feel very strong, very fast, my combinations have been amazing. I’ve been sparring fifteen rounds every time that I spar in the gym, since December fourteenth.
“…so I feel like this is going to be a quick KO. I’m not going to go in there crazy looking for a crazy knockout in the beginning. But I am going to do everything right and I am going to let it come on its own.”
It will be interesting to see if Benavidez can make good on his promise to tear apart Ellis. Or, will Ronald Ellis pull off the unlikely upset? In either case, 3kingsboxing.com will be there to report the action!
By: Bakari Simpson
