Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith worries that David Benavidez injures himself because he stands in front of his opponents, does not move, and does not use head movement. Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) stands in front of his opponent and drops his hands.
(Credit: Ryan Hafey/Premier Boxing Champions)
Smith’s concerns
Interim WBC lightweight champion Benavidez could be injured in his next fight when he meets David Morrell on Feb. 1 in their 12-round bout at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
If Benavidez is defeated in this fight, he will need to decide if he tries to go back to 168 or stay at 175 and be content with being a contender rather than a world champion.
Morrell is as big as Benavidez but much stronger, faster and more technically gifted. He came from the Cuban school of boxing and didn’t learn all the bad habits that Benavidez did during his years of fighting smaller opposition.
Smith is a big fan of Benavidez, and he also seems to have his head wrapped around Canelo Alvarez, who he needs to fight. This fight is not going to happen. They are in different divisions now, and Canelo ends his career at 168 picking and choosing.
Benavidez, 28, developed a style that worked for him because he was bigger than his opponents, fighting in a division below his frame for 11 years at 168 before finally moving up to 175.
In his debut at 175 against Oleksandr Gvozdyk on June 15, we saw that Benavidez was hit often. Going forward, he won’t be able to score KOs like he did when he fought smaller fighters at 168.
“I’m a big fan of David Benavidez. I also love Canelo, but I don’t like the fact that Canelo is taking so long to give him a match,” Stephen A. Smith told the Sean Zittel channel “I applaud David Benavidez because he doesn’t kid anyone, and he’s ready to fight at any moment.
“He’s ‘The Mexican Monster.’ one with each hand,” Smith continued about Benavidez.
“He’s got speed, he’s got power, he’s got boxing skills, and he’s got heart. I don’t know if there’s a bigger fan of David Benavidez than me. I’ve got a lot of love for his skills, and I want to see him on the great scene,” Smith said.
Stephen A. is a casual boxing fan, not the hardcore variety, who follows the sport closely. So, he doesn’t understand that Benavidez is no longer in Canelo’s orbit. He also doesn’t seem to be aware that Benavidez has never fought against elite-level opposition to earn his “Mexican Monster” nickname in the truest sense. He was essentially a weight bully who fought against older and smaller veterans.
The handshake incident
“Benavidez made a mistake trying to shake his hand. Those Cuban guys, they had a playful attitude, but they really hate it when they think somebody thinks they can beat them,” coach Greg Hackett said. YSM Sports Mediaspeaking of today’s alteration.
After everything Benavidez said about Morrell, there was no chance he would shake hands during his faceoff today in Miami. Benavidez shouldn’t even try to shake hands with Morrell because he’s asking for trouble.
“When Benavidez walked up to him and tried to shake his hand, he shouldn’t have done it. Morrell was like, ‘No, we’re not about that.’ We’re going to rumble. All that crap you were talking about me, and now you want to shake my hand?
