David Benavidez is one of the most talked-about names in boxing following his destructive win over Gilberto Ramirez. Since that victory, he has been linked with a fight against Dmitry Bivol, and even a move to heavyweight. His father and trainer, Jose Benavidez Sr, spoke to The Ring and welcomed a showdown against Artur Beterbiev.
Artur Beterbiev takes aim at David Benavidez
Beterbiev (21-1, 20 KOs) has struck fear throughout the light heavyweight division, knocking out all but one opponent. His two fights with Dmitry Bivol were memorable moments for the boxing purists.
Beterbiev has been out of the ring since losing the rematch to Bivol. The heavy-handed Russian recently spoke to Match TV, revealing that Benavidez avoided a showdown with him:
“He had a fight with Anthony Yarde [on November 22], and I agreed to fight him after that.”
“His team apparently didn’t expect me to agree so quickly, so they immediately changed their mind and chose Ramirez. That was a year ago. Generally, this has become the norm in boxing – sometimes I’ll box, sometimes I won’t, choosing opponents, I like this one, I don’t like that one. I have a different mentality. That’s foreign to me,” said Beterbiev.
“Benavidez is the kind of guy who talks a lot more than he does.”
“But it must be said that he’s being handled very skillfully. He’s already a world champion in two weight classes. But his boxing is dirty, and some of his victories are certainly questionable,” added Beterbiev.
Jose Benavidez Sr welcomes Beterbiev showdown
David Benavidez has spoken positively about facing many big names in the light heavyweight and cruiserweight divisions. Team Benavidez has fired back on Beterbiev’s recent comments:
“We went to Artur Beterbiev and his team before the Anthony Yarde fight but they weren’t interested in the fight,” Benavidez Sr. told The Ring. “We have no problem fighting Beterbiev next.
“There’s no need for trash talk. Let’s make the fight happen. We respect Beterbiev. He’s a great fighter but our preference is Bivol. He beat Canelo Alvarez. He beat Zurdo Ramirez and beating him would give David a chance to become undisputed but Beterbiev is the more dangerous fighter. We would love to fight him next. We can make it happen whenever they want.”
Whether David Benavidez moves back down remains to be seen, but a potential El Monstruo-Beterbiev fight is a fascinating prospect. Both are forward-thinking fighters and carry plenty of power. David Benavidez vs Artur Beterbiev, sign us up!
Featured Image Credit:
Frank Micelotta/FOX Sports