Is David Benavidez An Unfit Match for Dmitry Bivol?
Hall of Fame commentator Jim Lampley believes that two-time WBC super middleweight champion David “The Monster” Benavidez (29-0, 24KO) wouldn’t be the favorite against WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol (23-0, 12KO).
On June 15, The Monster competed for the WBC interim light heavyweight title against former champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk. Although he got the victory in a semi-dominating fashion, it wasn’t the normal display of destruction by Benavidez.
For the first time, boxing fans even saw him show signs of fatigue in the second half of the fight. This has made some fans wonder if he can beat either of the two champions in the division.
DOESN’T BELIEVE HE’S READY FOR THE CHAMPION
While speaking with Sean Zittel, Lampley claimed that Benavidez would be the underdog against Bivol.
“He’s an underdog against Dmitry Bivol, and we’re not even going to talk about [Artur] Beterbiev. The bottom line is David Benavidez’s options are now somewhat limited, based on what we saw tonight.”
Jim Lampley
Criticism is typical for fighters when their performance doesn’t live up to expectations. In the case of The Monster, there are a few things that need to be pointed out. Once he gets acclimated to the weight, it would quickly solve the fatigue issue. It’s common for fighters to need a fight or two before they are used to fighting with the extra weight. Furthermore, Benavidez admitted to suffering a facial cut and torn tendon in the right hand in training camp. This could explain why his punches didn’t have that much of an effect on Gvozdyk.
As for fighting Bivol, the two-time champion would have the advantage in the height and reach department. In addition, he has sparred with the WBA champion before, so he already has a feel for what to expect in a real contest.
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