Benavidez Isn’t A Real 175 Monster Vs Yarde Test

Trainer Abel Sanchez expects Anthony Yarde to give WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez ““Tough battle” Saturday night, November 22, at their main concert on the Fourth Ring Road in Riyadh. Abel sees Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) pull away to eventually pick up the victory due to his speed and all-around talent.

(Credit: Queensberry/Lee Downey)

Yard’s power makes this dangerous

It wouldn’t be a shock if Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs) knocks out Benavidez on Saturday. He’s there to get hit, and Yarde is one of the biggest punchers in the 175-pound division.

Sanchez says he doesn’t see Benavidez as having the “strength” at 175 to defeat the top fighters in the division, Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev. It is noteworthy that Benavidez, the “Mexican monster,” is no longer as “dominant” as he was when he campaigned at the age of 168. His boxing skills are not enough in this department. It takes more.

“The Yarde fight is not an easy fight, but David is a talent. Anthony will be there for him. He will give him a tough fight, but in the end, it will be a long shot for David Benavidez to win,” trainer Abel Sanchez told Secondsout, predicting a win for WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez over challenger Anthony Yarde on Saturday.

Yarde looks strong – Benavidez looks exhausted

Sanchez did not discuss Benavidez’s physical condition. He looked skeletal this week due to a weight cut during his weigh-in on Friday. That weight drain could leave him vulnerable to Yarde, who looks healthier this week.

We also don’t know what Benavidez has in the tank after the beating he took in his last fight against David Murrell.

“She’s not dominant anymore”: Sanchez’s verdict

“No,” Sanchez said when asked if Benavidez can beat the top 175-pound fighters, Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. “At 168, he was dominant. At 175, he proved he’s not dominant. Listen, he’s got great tools. Great hand speed. Great combinations and very good commands in the ring.”

Benavidez’s two fights at 175:

• David Morrell
• Oleksandr Gvozdyk

We’ve already seen that Benavidez is not the same fighter in his two matches at 175 against David Morrell and Oleksandr Gvozdyk. Despite winning two 12-round unanimous decisions, Benavidez was beaten in both fights and looked physically in worse shape than his opponents. Those matches showed that he didn’t have the power at 175, and that his opponents were hitting harder.

Another fifteen years? Reality says otherwise

Benavidez said this week in an interview that he believes he will fight for another 15 years. However, with the blows he has taken in the past year alone, the odds of him sticking around for long are slim. Benavidez may change his mind once he begins a sharp decline in his performance, suffers knockout losses, and no longer dominates like he did when he was 168 years old.

Morrell and Gvozdyk have already put Miles on him

His tough fights against Morel and Gvozdyk were a wake-up call and showed how much his situation had changed. He is no longer the big fish in a small pond.

“Does he have the strength and size to handle Bivol or Beterbiev? They are talking about Zordo [Ramirez] “Moving to 175,” Abel said of Benavidez’s limitations. “Is he doing enough to be able to do more than just be able to box?”

Facing Beterbiev and Bivol will take a lot from Benavidez. He’s going to have to absorb a lot of shots to overcome it, and it’s questionable if he can. Morrell and Gvozdyk had really hurt him. This is a bad sign.