HOENIX (October 18, 2021) – Unbeaten two-time world champion David “El Bandera Roja” Benavídez and former champion José Uzcátegui previewed their upcoming super middleweight title eliminator during a virtual press conference Monday before they meet live on SHOWTIME on Saturday, November 13 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from Footprint Center – home of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features the much-anticipated return of longtime contender José Benavídez, the older brother of David Benavídez, facing Argentina’s Francisco Emanuel Torres in the 10-round super welterweight co-main event. The Benavídez brothers have their sights set on impressing their hometown fans in long-awaited homecoming bouts.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Sampson Boxing and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and are available for purchase through Ticketmaster.com.

Here is what the fighters had to say Monday:

DAVID BENAVÍDEZ

“I’m going to be the same fighter I always am, ripping the body and looking for the knockout. I like a fast-paced, action packed fight. The fans are expecting it, so there’s no reason to change my style now. No one has ever stopped Uzcategui, but that’s the statement I’m trying to make.

“I’m going to go in there and do what I always do. I’m always looking for a spectacular knockout. That’s just the way that I train. I put my heart and soul into camp. No matter what fight might be on the horizon, it doesn’t change the way I prepare for a fight.

“Every time I go to sleep, I’m thinking about war on November 13. I’m gunning for the knockout, and if I have to go through a war to get it, then that’s what’s going to happen.

“Uzcategui is a strong fighter. If I can’t get the stoppage, I want to get a very clear victory. I’ve got a great game plan and I’m prepared to bring a lot of different styles into the ring. I know this isn’t an easy opponent, but that’s the kind of fighter I want to be. I want to take on the toughest challenges.

“We’ve had a lot of great sparring sessions out here in Southern California with Gabe Rosado and Diego Pacheco. I’ve been going up to 14 rounds in sparring sessions, so I’m not even worried about my stamina at all.

“There’s no anxiety about fighting at home. I’m just excited about it. I’ve worked very hard for this. It’s going to be a great night of boxing, and I can’t wait to share the card with my brother in the co-main event. It’s really a dream come true.

“My main objective is to go in there and stop him. I’m the best super middleweight in the world and I just have to show everybody why.

“I know he’s coming to knock me out too, and that’s going to make it a great fight. It’s huge for both of us to get this win and get to the next step toward a title.

“I feel like the winner of this fight deserves the Canelo-Plant winner. We’ve definitely put the work in throughout our careers to earn it. I think Canelo has the experience and power that’s going to help him get the victory on November 6 over Plant.

“I’m doing 13 or 14 rounds of sparring and running six or seven miles a day right now and I’m feeling strong. I basically had two back-to-back camps with the delay, so it was a little bit of a blessing in disguise.”

JOSE UZCÁTEGUI

“I’m very motivated to work hard and train hard every day. If David doesn’t think I’m a top-level fighter, then that’s fine. I’m going to show him in the ring. Whatever misconceptions he has, we are going to figure it out in the ring and I will show the kind of work that I have put in and the type of opponent that I can be.

“What happened with Caleb Plant was just a bad night. We prepared in the wrong way and we weren’t ready like we should have been. But on November 13, the people are going to realize that the Plant fight was just one bad night and we will work extremely hard to become victorious.

“I’m not going to tell you that I’m going to get the knockout or that I’m going to stop him or anything like that,because David is a young, strong, talented fighter who is capable of anything, just like I am. I’m going to provide my own speed, my own talent and my own experience. So in the end, the winners on November 13 are going to be the fans.

“I can guarantee you that we will provide fans with a great fight and that people will realize the type of fighters we are. I promise I will make the most out of this opportunity and give the fans what they deserve.

“I truly believe that the winner of this fight between me and David deserves to fight the winner of Canelo-Plant. No doubt about that. As far as that fight goes, I think Canelo is going to win, and he may even knock Plant out in eight or nine rounds.

“This could be the Fight of the Year, I can tell you that. The fans can expect a war between me and David. I know it’s going to be tough, but it’s going to be a real entertaining fight that the fans will love and we are going to put on a show for them.”

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ABOUT BENAVIDEZ VS. UZCATEGUI
Benavidez vs. Uzcategui will see unbeaten two-time world champion David “El Bandera Roja” Benavídez square off against former champion José Uzcátegui in a super middleweight title eliminator as Benavídez returns to his hometown of Phoenix for the first time in six years in the SHOWTIME main event on Saturday, November 13 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from Footprint Center – home of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will feature the much-awaited return of longtime contender José Benavídez, the older brother of David Benavídez, facing Argentina’s Francisco Emanuel Torres in a 10-round super welterweight bout.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Sampson Boxing and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and are available for purchase through Ticketmaster.com.

By Norm Frauenheim-

Sometimes, schedule makers are a little bit like map makers. They can draw up a pretty good path to what might be next. Or, at least, how to get there.

Connect the dates, which on boxing’s current map means David Benavidez-versus-Canelo Alvarez might be closer than ever. For a couple of years, it’s been mostly talk, most of it from Benavidez.

There was a chance, but it vanished about 13 months ago when Benavidez failed to make weight for the defense of a World Boxing Council title he had regained. Had he made the weight, he would have kept the belt. He went on to beat Roamer Alexis Angulo.

But the vacant title fell into Canelo’s powerful hands, who took it easily in what was a one-sided decision over an overmatched Callum Smith last December

Had Benavidez’ kept the belt, Canelo’s determined pursuit of a unified super-middleweight title might have already led to the Phoenix fighter. Instead, Canelo will go after the 168-pound’s last piece, the International Boxing Federation belt held by Caleb Plant.

That’s going to happen on Nov. 6, presumably in Las Vegas. Showtime made it official last week. Plant showed up at press row Saturday before the Yordenis Ugas’ upset of Manny Pacquiao at Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, confirming that – yeah – they finally had a deal.

“Don’t congratulate me now,’’ Plant told reporters, who wanted to applaud the resolution to talks that had fallen apart a couple of weeks ago. “Congratulate me after the fight.’’

Three days later, Showtime and Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) announced that Benavidez-versus-Jose Uzcategui – originally set for Aug. 28 and postponed by Benavidez’ positive test for COVID — had been rescheduled for Nov. 13, a week later, still at the Footprint Center, the Suns arena in downtown Phoenix.

Coincidence? Only if you’re not paying attention to the signs. The timing is just the latest piece to fall in place for a fight that has been near the top of the fans’ wish list.

A Benavidez victory would put him back at the front of the WBC line for another shot to regain the title he has held twice. He would be the so-called mandatory challenger to Canelo. Benavidez, still unbeaten, is favored.

That’s not to say Uzcategui doesn’t have a chance. The Venezuelan has challenged for a major title, losing a decision to Plant in January 2019. But he’s considered a steppingstone for Benavidez, 24 and still emerging.

Before the fight was postponed, some betting sites listed Benavidez as a 1/9 favorite, meaning he has about a 90 percent chance at winning. That seems a bit much. But you get the idea. Benavidez figures to win – and win big – in his first appearance before hometown fans since he fought his way to stardom.

Canelo, too, is a big favorite, although some think Plant’s combination of footwork and toughness will surprise the sport’s top draw. Canelo is a minus-600 favorite, meaning an 85.71-percent chance at victory.

Whatever the odds, it looks as if it’s a lock that Benavidez and Canelo will win convincingly, one Saturday after the other in November. What’s not a lock is what happens next. That’s boxing, not betting. Odds are always pretty good that something unforeseen – from injury to insanity — will happen.

Benavidez-Canelo, Mexican-American-versus-Mexican, would be a good Cinco de Mayo bout in 2022. May 5 falls on Thursday next year. That Saturday, May 7, would be the day to celebrate with an opening bell.

But all of that depends on another road map, the one Canelo has drawn up for his career. He talks about history. If he beats Plant, he will have accomplished one goal with a unified title.

It’s not clear if his next step would be the pursuit of a unified title at light-heavyweight. His record already includes a key 175-pound victory, a stoppage of Sergey Kovalev in November 2019. During the on-and-off negotiations with Plant, there was talk that he might opt for a fight against Dmitry Bivol, who holds a light-heavyweight belt.

Canelo’s decision might hinge on a couple of scales — the one that measures weight and the bigger one that measures history. There’s another one, too: Benavidez. He failed on the first scale, but he’s back and still there on the second, a face and a factor that Canelo will eventually have to confront.

Now or then, at another date or another weight, November’s timing will make it inevitable.

PHOENIX (August 24, 2021) – Unbeaten two-time world champion and Phoenix-native David “El Bandera Roja” Benavidez will battle former world champion Jose Uzcategui in a WBC Super Middleweight title eliminator in his hometown on Saturday, November 13 live on SHOWTIME in a Premier Boxing Champions event from Footprint Center in Phoenix.

Benavidez and Uzcategui were originally scheduled to meet on Saturday, August 28, before the fight was pushed back due to a positive COVID-19 test for Benavidez.

Also featured on the card will be longtime contender José Benavídez, the older brother of David Benavídez, making his much-awaited return facing Argentina’s Francisco Emanuel Torres in a 10-round super welterweight duel.

Tickets purchased for the August 28 event will be valid for the newly scheduled November 13 event date. If you are unable to attend the newly scheduled date, tickets will be refundable at your point of purchase.

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For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

By Norm Frauenheim

David Benavidez, unbeaten in the ring, can’t win one outside of it.

The super-middleweight’s string of trouble continued Wednesday with his withdrawal from an August 28 homecoming in Phoenix against Jose Uzcategui because of a positive test for COVID, according to multiple Phoenix sources who confirmed a story first reported by Boxing Scene.

Benavidez (24-0, 21 KOs) was supposed to fight Uzcategui (31-4,26 KOs), of Venezuela, in a 12-round eliminator for a mandatory shot at the World Boxing Council’s version of the 168-pound title, currently held by Canelo Alvarez. Benavidez, 24, is already the WBC’s No. 1 contender for a title he has held and lost twice.

He was stripped of the belt for a positive cocaine test in September 2019. He regained it, then lost it on the scale, failing to make weight for a title defense in August 2020.

As of Wednesday, it wasn’t clear whether the bout at the newly-named Footprint Center, the Phoenix Suns home arena, would be canceled or postponed. A postponement looked likely. Tickets have been for sale since the Showtime-televised card was announced in mid-July.

A request for formal approval of the card was on the agenda Wednesday at a meeting of the Arizona State Boxing & MMA Commission.

On the undercard, there’s a scheduled comeback by Benavidez brother Jose, who won his first title – a World Boxing Association interim welterweight belt – in May 2015, also at the Suns Arena.

Jose Benavidez, set to come back against Argentine Francisco Torres (17-3, 5 KOs), hasn’t fought since Terence Crawford stopped him in the twelfth round in October 2018.

The undercard also has included unbeaten Phoenix featherweight Carlos Castro (26-0, 11 KOs) against Oscar Escandon (26-5, 18 KOs) of Colombia.

Showtime was expected to televise both Jose Benavidez-Torres and Castro-Escandon.

By Norm Frauenheim—

There’s been uncertainty surrounding Canelo Alvarez’ next fight, questions about when, where, weight and mostly who.  There’s been none about David Benavidez, whose mind and purpose are locked in on an August 28 homecoming in Phoenix.

All paths lead to Canelo, or at least they have for Benavidez, who poured a lot of noise into social media in trash-talking Canelo, the game’s biggest draw.

Follow the money in today’s boxing business and it inevitably leads to Canelo. But there’s no sure way to get there, a fact that Caleb Plant might have learned the hard way. Plant’s speculated date in mid-September with Canelo is reportedly off because negotiations went awry. Instead of Plant, Canelo’s next foe looks to be Dmitry Bivol, according to promoter Eddie Hearn.

“Bivol is the front runner, in my opinion, for that slot on September the 18th, Hearn said Monday during an appearance on The DAZN Boxing Show.  “I think if it’s not Bivol, then I think there’s a very good chance that September 18 will be put on hold, and we’ll move on to another date and potentially another opponent.’’

As of Thursday, there was no new of a deal. That could change Friday, or Saturday or whenever. Boxing talks are nothing if not notoriously unpredictable

“Now I’ll reiterate that he wants that Plant fight, you know, it’s the undisputed fight, but he also wants to face other champions,’’ Hearn said. “So, we’ve been in touch with Dmitry and they’re ready to fight Canelo Alvarez on September the 18th. They’ve been sort of training really for the last two or three weeks in the hope that they do get that pick.” 

Plant has always been seen as the fight at the top of Canelo’s immediate wish list. Plant holds the International Boxing Federation’s super-middleweight belt. Canelo’s stated goal has been to be the first in the division to unify the168-pound title. He could always go back to Plant and resume negotiations if he beats Bivol, who holds a light-heavyweight belt, the World Boxing Association’s version, the least-respected piece to boxing’s unification puzzle.

Bivol, perhaps weakened by a battle to fight at a catchweight, would qualify as a stay-busy date. It would fill a traditional boxing weekend that celebrates September 16, Mexican Independence. It also could become a megaphone for the growing number of fans who want to see Benavidez fight Canelo.

It all depends on what Canelo does – whether he in fact fights on Sept. 18 and how Benavidez (24-0, 21 KOs) performs against Venezuelan Jose Uzcategui (31-4, 26 KOs) in a Showtime-televised bout at the newly-name Footprint Center, the Phoenix Suns home arena.

Benavidez knows that. In a mark of his emerging maturity, the 24-year-old talked this week, in effect saying he can control only what he does instead of what Canelo may – may not — do.

“This is a big opportunity for whoever wins this fight, Benavidez said Tuesday in a zoom session with reporters. “He’s (Uzcategui) been in this sport for a long time and has a lot of experience. This is the kind of fight we both need to get to the bigger dogs. I’ll fight whoever I have to in order to get back to the world title. I’m going to earn my opportunity any way it comes.’’

Benavidez might have already fought Canelo had he not lost the World Boxing Council belt on the scale nearly a year ago, Aug. 14, for a title defense against Alexis Angulo. He went on to score a 10^th-round stoppage of Angulo. Then, he made weight and stopped Ronald Ellis on March 13. Against Uzcategui, he faces a former champion who lost a unanimous decision to Plant in January 2019.

“I take my career fight-by-fight and I of course want to get back in the ring as soon as possible after this fight,’’ Benavidez said. “Right now, August 28 is the only thing on my mind. I can’t overlook anybody, especially an ex-champion like Uzcategui.

“I want to be in the game for 10 more years. So, it doesn’t matter when the belt comes back to me. I have to keep taking it, fight by fight, and let the rest take care of itself.’’

No question about that either.

PHOENIX (August 3, 2021) – Unbeaten two-time world champion David “El Bandera Roja” Benavídez and former champion José Uzcátegui previewed their upcoming WBC Super Middleweight title eliminator during a virtual press conference Tuesday before they meet in the SHOWTIME main event on Saturday, August 28 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from Footprint Center – home of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and features the much-anticipated return of longtime contender José Benavídez, the older brother of David Benavídez, facing Argentina’s Francisco Emanuel Torres in the 10-round super welterweight co-main event. Kicking off the telecast is undefeated contender Carlos Castro taking on former title challenger Óscar Escandón in a 10-round super bantamweight bout. The Benavídez brothers and Castro all hail from Phoenix and have their sights set on impressing their hometown fans.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Sampson Boxing and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and are available for purchase through Ticketmaster.com.

Here is what the fighters had to say Tuesday:

DAVID BENAVÍDEZ

“I’m very excited for this fight. I’ve been training for eight weeks and I can’t wait. Uzcátegui is not an easy fighter. He’s an ex-world champion looking to be champion again, so we’re at a crossroads, and whoever wins knows they have a big fight coming.

“I’m motivated not just because of Uzcátegui, but to fight in Phoenix again. It’s been a long time since I’ve fought in my hometown. I’m feeling fast and strong and ready to get in there and put on a show.

“I don’t put any extra pressure on myself fighting at home. I’m excited to be back fighting in front of a live crowd. I think this is going to be my best fight ever too, just like Uzcátegui said, so the winners are going to be the fans on August 28.

“I see the fire in Uzcátegui’s eyes and that motivates me. This might be the Fight of the Year. Don’t blink, because this one is going to be explosive.

“I think this will be a harder fight for me than Caleb Plant would be. I think Uzcátegui won the second round of that fight against Caleb and I don’t think Caleb has been the same since that fight.

“This is a big opportunity for whoever wins this fight. He’s been in this sport for a long time and has a lot of experience. This is the kind of fight we both need to get to the bigger dogs. I’ll fight whoever I have to in order to get back to the world title. I’m going to earn my opportunity any way it comes.

“It’s a dream come true for me to have my first main event at the Phoenix Suns arena, Footprint Center. Having my brother fighting in the co-main event is a very big deal for me and my family. We’ve been putting in hard work for our whole lives in this sport and it’s paying off. I’m proud of my brother and the work we’ve done.

“I take my career fight-by-fight and I of course want to get back in the ring as soon as possible after this fight. Right now, August 28 is the only thing on my mind. I can’t overlook anybody, especially an ex-champion like Uzcátegui.

“I want to be in the game for 10 more years. So it doesn’t matter when the belt comes back to me. I have to keep taking it fight by fight and let the rest take care of itself.

“We both throw good power shots and we’re very similar fighters. When two bulls go toe-to-toe you’re going to get a war. This is going to be one of the best fights of the year. It’s a guaranteed war.

“I know that I can hurt anybody. I’ve hurt everyone I’ve ever faced. I’m not ignorant though, I know that he has power too. I think if I follow my game plan, I can definitely knock him out. No one has knocked him out, so I’m training hard to be the first person to do that. I go for the stoppage in every fight and I know he’s going to come for the same thing.”

JOSE UZCÁTEGUI

“I think this is going to be the best fight of my career, even more than winning the title. I have a great opponent across from me and that’s going to bring out the best in me.

“It makes me more motivated to be fighting in his hometown. I know that we’re both great warriors. This is going to be an exciting fight, and you’re going to make sure you don’t want to miss it.

“This fight was talked about back when we were both champions. It didn’t happen then but it’s happening now. A lot of fighters run and don’t want to get in there with Benavídez, but we stepped up.

“I want the big challenges like Canelo Alvarez, and I know I have to win fights like these to get there. I want the tough fights. That’s what makes this a great fight for the fans.

“Winning the world title was one of the best nights of my life. But I didn’t do the proper things I had to after winning to remain world champion, and you saw the results. But I still believe in myself and you’re going to see me back to my best on fight night.

“Obviously we both hit hard. The difference in this fight is going to be who can stand there and take it better. It’s going to come down to preparation and who can stand up for 12 rounds.

“I never really committed to going up to 175-pounds. That was just for one fight. Super middleweight is my division and that’s where I’m trying to win a title at. We’ve wanted to fight David forever and once the fight came to us, we jumped at it.

“I expect the same David we always see. He’s a great fighter who comes forward. But that’s what I’m going to show you as well. It’s definitely two fighters who love to come forward.

“We know what’s in front of us. We have trained 100% every day, as hard as we can, because he’s coming to throw bombs.”

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ABOUT BENAVIDEZ VS. UZCATEGUI
Benavidez vs. Uzcategui will see unbeaten two-time world champion David “El Bandera Roja” Benavídez square off against former champion José Uzcátegui in a WBC Super Middleweight title eliminator as Benavídez returns to his hometown of Phoenix for the first time in six years in the SHOWTIME main event on Saturday, August 28 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from Footprint Center – home of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and will feature the much-awaited return of longtime contender José Benavídez, the older brother of David Benavídez, facing Argentina’s Francisco Emanuel Torres in the 10-round super welterweight co-main event. Kicking off the telecast is undefeated contender Carlos Castro taking on former title challenger Óscar Escandón in a 10-round super bantamweight bout.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

PHOENIX (July 29, 2021) – Unbeaten two-time world champion David “El Bandera Roja” Benavídez will square off against former champion José Uzcátegui in a WBC Super Middleweight title eliminator as Benavídez returns to his hometown of Phoenix for the first time in six years in the SHOWTIME main event on Saturday, August 28 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from Footprint Center – home of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and will feature the much-awaited return of longtime contender José Benavídez, the older brother of David Benavídez, facing Argentina’s Francisco Emanuel Torres in the 10-round super welterweight co-main event. Kicking off the telecast is undefeated contender Carlos Castro taking on former title challenger Óscar Escandón in a 10-round super bantamweight bout. The Benavídez brothers and Castro hail from Phoenix and have their sights set on impressing their hometown fans.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Sampson Boxing and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and are available for purchase through Ticketmaster.com.

“I am happy to be bringing David ‘El Bandera Roja’ Benavidez back to his hometown to fight after so many years away,” said Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing. “It is going to be a sensational welcome party for him and all the fans.”

Still just 24-years-old, Benavídez (24-0, 21 KOs) enters this fight having knocked out his last four opponents, including a September 2019 knockout of two-time super middleweight champion Anthony Dirrell. Most recently, he earned stoppage victories over Roamer Alexis Angulo in August 2020 and Ronald Ellis in March of this year. Benavídez is trained by his father José Sr., alongside his brother and former title challenger, José Jr. In 2017, he became the youngest super middleweight champion in boxing history by defeating Ronald Gavril on SHOWTIME at just 20 years old. Representing his native Phoenix, Ariz., Benavídez went from a 15-year-old prodigy sparring with Gennady Golovkin and Peter Quillin, to world title contender with a 10-fight knockout streak from 2015 through 2017, including a highlight-reel knockout of Rogelio Medina with a seven-punch combination that earned him his first title opportunity.

“I’m super excited to fight in front of my hometown fans,” said Benavídez. “It’s a dream come true for me to come back home as a two-time world champion. I’m training for Uzcategui like he’s a world champ because he has a lot of experience and he’s a hungry fighter. I know that he needs this win, but I won’t let that happen. I’m staying dedicated and motivated to win on August 28 on SHOWTIME and I want to look impressive doing it in order to get even bigger and better fights in the future.”

Born in Venezuela and fighting out of Tijuana, Mexico, Uzcátegui (31-4, 26 KOs) captured a 168-pound world title in March of 2018 by stopping veteran contender Andre Dirrell after eight rounds. The 30-year-old put himself in position to fight for a title with four-straight stoppage victories from 2015 through 2016, including a win over then-unbeaten Julius Jackson. Since losing the title to unbeaten champion Caleb Plant in January 2019, Uzcátegui has rebounded to win three of his last four fights, including knockout wins in 2021 over Jaime Hernandez Lopez and Josue Obando.

“I’m excited to be back on the big stage for this fight,” said Uzcátegui. “I know what I’m up against with Benavídez. He’s a great fighter, and that’s my biggest motivation. This is going to be a war and I can’t wait to give the people a great fight. Both of us come to brawl, so this is going to be a classic on August 28.”

The 28-year-old Benavídez (27-1, 18 KOs) is the older brother of main event headliner David and returns to fight in his hometown of Phoenix for the first time in six years. A long-established contender, Benavídez will return to action for the first time since dropping a 147-pound title showdown to Terence Crawford in October 2018. Benavídez had previously earned wins over contenders such as Mauricio Herrera, Francisco Santana and Frank Rojas on his way to that world title opportunity.

“I’m really excited to be back in the ring after being out for a while,” said Benavidez. “I feel more mature, motivated and stronger than ever. Fighting alongside my brother and in my hometown, is really a dream come true. I’m really looking forward to making a tremendous comeback. It doesn’t matter who they put in front of me, I guarantee that I’m going to take them out. No one is going to want to miss this night, because me and my brother are bringing the fireworks.”

A native of boxing-rich Buenos Aires, Argentina, Torres (17-3, 5 KOs) enters this fight the winner of his last nine contests dating back to 2018. The 31-year-old will fight in the U.S. for the third time on August 28, having scored stateside victories over Cleotis Pendarvis in August 2020 and Louis Hernandez in February of this year. Torres most recently won a unanimous decision over Alexi Rivera in June as he prepares for his toughest fight to date against Benavídez.

“I’m very pumped up for this fight,” said Torres. “I want to thank my whole team for this opportunity to participate in such an important fight. This is a great chance for me to go to the next level against a great fighter who’s had an exceptional career. I will work very hard to get the victory on August 14 and raise high the flag of Argentina.”

Castro (26-0, 11 KOs) has climbed the rankings since turning pro in 2012 as he seeks a shot at a super bantamweight championship. The Phoenix-native added two victories in 2020, defeating Jesus Ruiz in February before stopping longtime contender Cesar Juarez in four rounds in July. Castro was coming off a 2019 campaign that saw him score three victories, including 10-round unanimous decision triumphs over former title challenger Genesis Servania and veteran contender Mario Diaz.

“I’m very grateful for this opportunity to fight an excellent opponent in Escandón,” said Castro. “I’m very motivated to put on a great performance in front of my hometown fans. On August 28, I’m going to be ready to showcase all of my skills and hard work in the ring so I leave with my hand raised.”

A native of Ibague, Colombia, Escandón (26-5, 18 KOs) has faced a slew of top contenders and champions including featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. and super bantamweight champion Brandon Figueroa, plus hard-hitting contender Tugstsogt Nyambayar. Escandón captured an interim title in 2016 when he knocked out Robinson Castellanos to earn his world title shot against Russell. Most recently, Escandón scored a first-round knockout over previously unbeaten contender Jhack Tepora in December of 2019.

“I’m very focused on training for this fight because I know a win can lead me back to another world title opportunity,” said Escandón. “Castro is a good young fighter who has a solid jab and can move. But I think he’s the perfect opponent for me. There are a lot of things we can do to win this fight and I can’t wait to go in there on August 28 and show it.”

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For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

PHOENIX (July 13, 2021) – Unbeaten two-time super middleweight world champion David “El Bandera Roja” Benavidez will enter the ring for a homecoming fight in his native Phoenix when he takes on former champion Jose Uzcategui in a WBC 168-pound title eliminator live on SHOWTIME Saturday, August 28 from Phoenix Suns Arena headlining a Premier Boxing Champions event.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Sampson Boxing and TGB Promotions, go on sale Thursday, July 15 at 12 p.m. PT and will be available for purchase through Ticketmaster.com.

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CARSON, CALIF. (April 28, 2021) – Ahead of this Saturday’s showdown between the two greatest Mexican-American heavyweights in boxing history, a star-studded lineup of Mexican legends, champions, contenders and more shared their thoughts on the matchup between former unified heavyweight champion Andy “The Destroyer” Ruiz Jr. and all-action heavyweight Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola.

This lineup includes quotes from Erik Morales, Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez, to name just a few of the Mexican stars excited for this heavyweight clash.

Ruiz vs. Arreola will top a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View event from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. The all-Mexican boxing extravaganza features three additional pay-per-view undercard fights that will pit Mexican and Mexican-American fighters against each other in fan-friendly matchups.

The May 1 affair will kick off Cinco de Mayo week, a holiday that has long been synonymous with Mexican boxing greats, a tradition that Ruiz and Arreola both look forward to continuing when they square off.

The event is promoted by TGB Promotions. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com. Dignity Health Sports Park will be open to fans in a limited capacity, with all guests remaining socially distanced and subject to local and state health guidelines throughout the event.

Here is what various Mexican and Mexican-American boxing legends, athletes, world champions, rising contenders and top trainers had to say about the importance of Saturday’s matchup, what it meant to them for Ruiz to become the first Mexican heavyweight champion and what the loyal Mexican boxing fans can expect on Saturday night:

Erik Morales, Hall of Famer:
“I had goosebumps watching the first fight between Andy Ruiz and Anthony Joshua, because this was the first time that a Mexican fighter won the heavyweight championship.

“Ruiz was a 15-to-1 underdog against Joshua, so that means that virtually no one expected him to win. And then, the fashion within which he won the title – rising from a third-round knockdown to stop Joshua – that made an even more impressive victory.”

Canelo Alvarez, Undefeated four-division champion:
“Andy Ruiz’s victory over Anthony Joshua was spectacular. He won in force, he was the best and he deserves all of the credit, proving there are many examples of elite boxers from Mexico.

“Andy reached out to me after the loss to Joshua. I consulted with Eddy Reynoso, and we agreed to help him, but we told him that the one thing we required was discipline. Andy has demonstrated a lot of that. Andy has done absolutely everything that Eddy has asked of him, from improving his defense to his head and waist movement, and he’s got very quick hands and punches with power.

“It’s great that Andy became the first heavyweight champion of Mexican descent, but now, it’s important to return to the top of the division. So this is a significant fight. With Andy facing Chris Arreola, this is the first time that two, high quality Mexican heavyweights are going at it. Arreola will bring aggression, but I expect a very quick knockout victory from Andy.”

Jorge de la Rosa, Former MLB Pitcher from Monterrey, Mexico:
“This is Andy Ruiz’s time to shine. He has the power and speed needed to catch Arreola by surprise, but it won’t be easy. It will be an amazing fight both for them and the fans. It’s going to be the all-action fight that we all crave and need in Los Angeles, a city that is very Mexican and has had a lot of memorable fights.”

David Benavidez, Undefeated two-time super middleweight champion:
“I’m very excited for Andy Ruiz to fight Chris Arreola, first of all, because, personally, I know both of these guys are good dudes who are going to go to war heading into the second half of their careers.

“Arreola was in contention for the heavyweight title for quite a while, and then, Ruiz stepped up and made history with a knockout of Anthony Joshua that made him the first heavyweight champion of Mexican descent.

“To be honest, I didn’t really want to watch the Joshua fight because everyone felt Ruiz had very little chance of winning. But when Ruiz got knocked down, got up and knocked out Joshua, that was probably one of the greatest moments in Mexican boxing history.

“Now Ruiz is working out alongside Canelo Alvarez, who has gone all the way up to light heavyweight. Between the two of them, they’ve demonstrated that anything is possible for Mexican fighters like me to accomplish championships at the higher weight divisions.”

Mario Barrios, Undefeated WBA World Super Lightweight Champion:
“This is a tough fight to predict for me because I like both guys. Chris Arreola and Andy Ruiz are both in great shape, so this fight is going to be explosive. I’m picking Ruiz by split decision in a very entertaining showdown. Cinco de Mayo is going to be off the charts this year with a big fight like this leading the way.”

Abner Mares, Former three-division world champion / boxing analyst:
“Andy Ruiz and Chris Arreola are exciting fighters to watch in their own right, and for them to be headlining an All-Mexican card as Mexican-American heavyweights is a historic precedent.

“Given the fact that we’ve had limited live shows since the start of the pandemic, it’s a real treat for all of us to have boxing return to the Los Angeles area. People are really excited, and I’m thrilled about an All-Mexican card being headlined by two Mexican-American heavyweights.

“Chris Arreola served as a trailblazer for Mexican heavyweights with his three appearances in championship fights, and Andy Ruiz shocked the world by knocking out Anthony Joshua to become the first heavyweight champion of Mexican descent.

“When Ruiz did that, I remember what I was doing and where I was when it happened. Being honest, though, I wasn’t expecting that, even though I wanted to tune in because I’ve known Andy Ruiz since he was a kid.

“My wife was having an event at her store, but the Joshua-Ruiz fight was being televised in a place across the street. So I went over there. I saw Ruiz go down, and I thought, ‘Well, fight is over.’ But then Ruiz got up and knocked Joshua down and eventually won the fight.

“I remember getting up, jumping up and down like a little kid, and, running around saying to people, ‘Oh my God, did you see what just happened?’ I was pointing it out to people like, ‘Hey, we have a new Mexican heavyweight champion’.”

Raul Marquez, Former super welterweight world champion:
“When Andy Ruiz first challenged Anthony Joshua for the heavyweight title, I was in the living watching it with my wife. I told her, ‘You see that fat boy? That fat boy’s going to win.’

“But I was saying that as a joke, because, at that point, I was really thinking ‘There’s no way.’ As soon as the fight began, Ruiz had some moments, but then, Joshua dropped him and I said, ‘Aw, man, it’s going to be over.’

“But Ruiz took his shots and he came back and stopped Joshua. I’m going to be honest with you, I was crying. I was so happy for Ruiz because I was happy and excited that we finally had a Mexican heavyweight champion of the world.

“When you’re talking Mexican fighters, they’re usually the smaller guys like Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez. Even I was pretty big being a super welterweight, and it was rare that you’d see any bigger.

“It was very rare that you’d see Mexicans in higher weights, but now, you have Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez. I came up with John Ruiz in the amateurs, and he became the first Puerto Rican heavyweight champion, which at the time was huge for Latinos.”

Eddy Reynoso, Trainer of Canelo Alvarez & Andy Ruiz Jr.:
“Andy Ruiz has given so much time and has been so dedicated to his work inside the gym. We’re excited for May 1. He is motivated and learning a lot every day. We know that on May 1 we’re going to be dealing with an aggressive fighter who is going to bring his best.

“Andy is excited about the challenge that Arreola presents. May 1 is going to be the second beginning of Andy’s career. This is the start of his pursuit to become champion again. We respect Arreola, but we’re going to go in there to get the job done on May 1.”

Omar Figueroa, Jr., Former world champion / welterweight contender:
“I’m honored to be a part of a show of this magnitude, especially an action-packed, All-Mexican card with the historical precedent of being headlined by two, Mexican-American heavyweights in Andy Ruiz and Chris Arreola.

“Neither of these guys looks to run around the ring, so you know that Arreola’s always going to bring it, and that Ruiz loves to fight. You’re going to see two guys setting off fireworks from beginning to end.”

Sebastian Fundora, Undefeated super welterweight contender:
“Andy Ruiz has been in the sport for a long time and he’s had a tremendous amateur background, so when it happened that he beat Anthony Joshua to become the first heavyweight champion of Mexican descent, honestly, I wasn’t surprised.

“But not everyone expected it because there are no other Mexican fighters, other than Chris Arreola, who have been able to succeed as a heavyweight. So for Ruiz to become the first was a true milestone for our Mexican culture.

“Now the fact you have two Mexican-American heavyweight fighters going against each other is incredible, and the fact that I have an opportunity to fight on their undercard is a great opportunity to showcase the fact that I’m another great, up-and-coming Mexican fighter. I believe that every fighter on this All-Mexican card is thinking the same thing, which is that we’re going to bring fans non-stop, action-packed, knockout excitement.”

Abel Ramos, Welterweight contender:
“Andy Ruiz versus Chris Arreola is a top of the line heavyweight clash of Mexicans between two guys who fit into the tradition that you can never count a Mexican out of a fight. I remember watching Arreola while growing up.

“I really believed in Arreola as being the first one that gave us hope that there can be a Mexican heavyweight champion. Even now with Arreola, you can never count him out. But Ruiz is an extremely talented fighter who has never been knocked out or stopped.”

Jesus Ramos, Undefeated welterweight prospect:
“Growing up I watched Chris Arreola’s career and his quest to become the first heavyweight champion of Mexican descent, but now, it’s crazy that he’s up against Andy Ruiz, who accomplished what Arreola wasn’t able to do in three tries.

“I remember meeting Ruiz in Los Angeles before his fight with Anthony Joshua, and he was a very humble, cool dude. So when I watched Ruiz get knocked down against Joshua, I was really worried and sad.

“But he came back and stopped Joshua, which was very exciting and an inspiration by representing all of us who are Mexican fans. I’ve been watching Ruiz’s videos, and you can tell he’s a more focused and determined fighter. Arreola’s a tough warrior and he’s always in exciting fights, but Ruiz looks extremely determined and motivated.”

Jorge Cota, Super Welterweight contender:
“The Andy Ruiz-Chris Arreola fight is going to be a matchup of savagery, because they’re big, strong Mexican heavyweights who are warriors with heart who are determined to win.

“Before Ruiz knocked out Anthony Joshua, everyone on the entire planet was counting him out, not only because he was the underdog, but because he took the fight on short notice as a replacement and didn’t have much time to prepare.

“But when I saw that he knocked out Joshua, I was as shocked as anyone at his display of courage and that typical, never quit Mexican mentality. With Ruiz’s matchup against Arreola, you’re going to see two Mexicans in a vicious war.”

Eduardo Ramirez, Featherweight contender:
“As a fan of the sport and a Mexican fighter myself, I can hardly wait to see the Andy Ruiz-Chris Arreola battle of heavyweights. It’s a historic, exciting fight between two massive men who will throw a ton of punches in advance of Cinco De Mayo. Their styles are perfect for one another, and Arreola’s going to bring it because it’s probably his last shot to crack the top of the division.”

Brandon Figueroa, Undefeated WBA World Super Bantamweight Champion:
“Andy Ruiz-Chris Arreola is a historic clash between two of the most accomplished heavyweight fighters in the history of the sport. It’s an incredible event between a former champion, Ruiz, and a guy in Arreola who tried to win three times before him.

“Growing up, I heard about the smaller Mexican legends like Julio Cesar Chavez, Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez. But now, we’re talking about heavyweights, which is a different type of toe-to-toe fireworks, which had been unheard of in the Mexican tradition.

“Arreola’s a great fighter and he’s accomplished a lot, but Ruiz is the younger of the two and carries more speed, power and skills. It’s going to be a war.”

Omar Figueroa, Sr., Trainer and father of undefeated super bantamweight champion Brandon Figueroa:
“The fact that Andy Ruiz and Chris Arreola are fighting one another as Mexican-American heavyweights is definitely a rarity. Arreola’s been there three times, but Ruiz is more in his prime.

“It’s going to be an exciting fight between two Mexican-American punchers and they’re going to go at it, but Ruiz has shown a lot more heart, particularly in rising from the canvas to stop Anthony Joshua and becoming the first-ever Mexican heavyweight champion.

“There were not a lot of people who thought Ruiz could do that to Joshua because of the way they both looked, physically, the result surprised everybody and had a great impact on the Mexican culture.”

Robert Guerrero, Former two-division champion:
“This is going to be a historic event with two top Mexican heavyweights going to war. This is rare, and I’ll be tuning in and so should every Mexican boxing fan out there. This will not be a boring fight, and you can take that to the bank.”

Joel Diaz, Trainer of former world champion Omar Figueroa Jr.:
“For Andy Ruiz to win a championship meant a lot, because the Mexican and Latino fans are very strong, and for Ruiz to become the heavyweight champion by knockout over Anthony Joshua, that’s incredibly attractive.

“Never did I ever think that I’d see a Mexican heavyweight champion, and for us, as Mexicans, it was like a gift to the historic culture. For Ruiz and Chris Arreola to be headlining an action-packed, All-Mexican card, right before Cinco De Mayo, is what Mexican fans need.

“It’s going to be a night of fireworks for the fans and a truly historic night for the world to see two Mexican heavyweights colliding. Arreola’s not going to be an easy night for Ruiz because he’s a three-time title challenger who is a warrior who will give anybody a difficult fight.”

Daniel Roman, Former unified super bantamweight world champion:
“Andy Ruiz against Chris Arreola is a historic event matching two Mexican heavyweights that should be celebrated by our culture. From what I’ve seen from Ruiz, he’s taking it very seriously.

“Every time you have a Mexican against a Mexican, you know it’s going to be a war. So then you add to it that they’re headlining an all-Mexican-American card within a week of Cinco De Mayo, and you know that there are going to be non-stop fireworks from the start to the finish.”

Freddy Fundora, Trainer and father of undefeated super welterweight contender Sebastian Fundora:
“It’s an anomaly for two Mexican heavyweights to be fighting, especially with one of them being a former champion in Andy Ruiz, and the other, Chris Arreola, who fought for the title three times.

“Mexican-Americans are not usually that big, so it’s unheard of and rare that you have two Mexicans that big who are fighting one another. But each of them has an exciting, aggressive style, so, in the culture’s great tradition, there are going to be fireworks.”

Omar Juarez, Undefeated super lightweight prospect:
“This is going to be a great action fight with a lot of big punches being thrown by two big Mexican heavyweights. This is the perfect fight leading into Cinco de Mayo weekend and I’ll be watching closely with family and friends.”

Jose Benavidez Sr., Trainer and father of undefeated two-time super middleweight champion David Benavidez:
“My thought on the entire card is that it’s a historic event and to have it live in the Los Angeles area is a treat for all of the Mexican fans and for the Latino fans in general.

“Andy Ruiz and Chris Arreola are exciting in all of their fights, and for two of the best Mexican-American heavyweights of their generation to be fighting each other on an All-Mexican American card is amazing and unheard of to this point. During his career, Arreola was among my favorite fighters.

“I thought at one point that Arreola was going to do what Andy Ruiz did, and I believe that Arreola still has a lot of gas in the tank. Ruiz is coming off of that loss in his rematch with Anthony Joshua after beating Joshua by shocking the world.

“I believe that it’s going to be an impressive, exciting fight where you’ll see Arreola bring his all. But I also believe that Ruiz wants so badly to be heavyweight champion once again, so he’s re-dedicated, motivated, strong, sharp, transformed and looking to win in spectacular fashion.”

John Molina Jr., Two-time world title challenger:
“Andy Ruiz-Chris Arreola is an anomaly of a fight because it’s a clash of Mexican-American heavyweights who have had exposure to championship fights. Of course, Ruiz dethroned Anthony Joshua by knockout for the title before losing their rematch by decision.

“That made Ruiz, for a time, the first-ever heavyweight champion of Mexican descent, this, after Arreola set the stage by fighting for the title three times but losing to Vitali Klitschko, Bermane Stiverne and Deontay Wilder.

“Both Ruiz and Arreola bring that traditional Mexican style to the table, and for that reason, it’s going to a highly entertaining, fan-friendly fight between warriors.”

Juan Macias Montiel, Middleweight contender:
“When Andy Ruiz came back to beat Anthony Joshua and to become the first man of Mexican descent to become a heavyweight champion, he did something that was unprecedented and so special for the Mexican community.

“Boxing for Mexicans is everything, and with my uncle, Fernando, being a retired former champion, Ruiz’s victory meant so much to my family. When Ruiz fights Arreola on May 1, you will see two of the best Mexican-American heavyweights in the history of the sport.

“Ruiz is under a new trainer in Eddy Reynoso, and Arreola’s in his second fight with Joe Goossen. They will do battle on May 1, kicking off the Cinco De Mayo weekend in what could be a make or break fight and the last shot for both men.”

Bob Santos, Trainer:
“When you think of Mexicans in boxing, you don’t think of seeing the bigger guys. You think of the smaller, legendary fighters like Julio Cesar Chavez, Salvador Sanchez and Juan Manuel Marquez. There have been bigger guys like Oscar De La Hoya, and, lately, Canelo Alvarez.

“As the product of a Puerto Rican-Mexican union as far as my parents, I have an appreciation for John Ruiz becoming the first Hispanic to hold a heavyweight title, and for him winning an all-Puerto Rican battle with his 11th-round knockout of Fres Oquendo.

“But it doesn’t get any bigger than Ruiz versus Arreola, which is huge as a fight between two, Mexican-American heavyweights as far as the tradition of Mexicans going to war with that ‘Never-say-die attitude’.”

Angel Barrientes, Super bantamweight prospect:
“When I think of the legendary Mexican fighters I watched growing up, you’re talking Julio Cesar Chavez, and Canelo Alvarez. I looked up to those fighters and so many others.

“But It’s rare to see a Mexican heavyweight fighter, so it’s definitely exciting that we’re going to be able to watch two of them fighting each other in Andy Ruiz and Chris Arreola. They’re both strong, big, accomplished, powerful punchers who are going to put on a great fight.”

Chavez Barrientes, Undefeated super bantamweight prospect:
“Andy Ruiz and Chris Arreola are going to put on a great fight being two Mexican-American heavyweights who have a reputation for really going at it, so it’s going to be a war.

“They’re both going to be hungry to pour their hearts out in the ring and to put on a great fight for the Mexican history books. Arreola’s still got a lot left, but he’s older, and Ruiz is the younger, hungrier fighter right now. So I feel like there will be a lot of action early on from Arreola, but that Ruiz will build momentum in the second half of the fight.”

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ABOUT FOX SPORTS PBC PPV: RUIZ VS. ARREOLA
Ruiz vs. Arreola will see former unified heavyweight world champion Andy “The Destroyer” Ruiz, Jr. battle all-action heavyweight Chris “The Nightmare’’ Arreola in the main event of an all-Mexican boxing extravaganza on Saturday, May 1 headlining a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

The pay-per-view begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features former world champion Omar “Panterita” Figueroa, Jr. clashing with Abel Ramos in the 12-round welterweight co-main event. Sensational super welterweight contender Sebastián “The Towering Inferno’’ Fundora takes on hard-hitting Jorge “El Demonio’’ Cota in a 12-round battle and rising welterweight star Jesús Ramos duels U.S. Olympian Javier “El Intocable” Molina for 10-rounds of welterweight action in the pay-per-view opener.

The event is promoted by TGB Promotions. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com. Dignity Health Sports Park will be open to fans in a limited capacity, with all guests remaining socially distanced and subject to local and state health guidelines throughout the event.

The FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View is priced at $49.99. Buy now on foxsports.com/ppv and watch on any screen!

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes and @TGBPromotions become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

By Norm Frauenheim–

On a couple of scales, David Benavidez has been hard at work. He’s turned up the volume. And he made weight. Both have kept him in the mix, if not the hunt, for the one fight he desperately wants.

If you haven’t heard, he’s pursuing Canelo Alvarez. He has turned the internet into a virtual bully pulpit, jumping from platform to platform, stating and restating his ultimate goal of a fight with Canelo.

No telling whether Canelo is listening, although it would be hard not to. But Canelo has other tasks already on his schedule, including a super-middleweight title date with Billy Joe Saunders on May 8. Then, there are plans for Caleb Plant in a bid to unify the acronyms. Canelo, already known for his stubborn focus on the business at hand, is busy and probably will be for a while.

For Benavidez, that means more of the same. Stay relevant, both on the internet and in the ring. The signs are good that he will. His 11^th-round stoppage of Ronald Ellis last Saturday was somewhat lost amid news of Marvin Hagler’s death.

Then, there was attention on Juan Francisco Estrada’s split-decision over Roman Gonzalez. It was a Super Fly classic, worthy of a Curtis Mayfield replay.

Nonetheless, Benavidez was impressive, more perhaps for the victory he scored on the scale than his predictable win over Ellis. He made the mandatory, coming in three-quarters of a pound under 168. Then, he went 10-plus rounds with no sign of the kind of fatigue brought on by an exhausting battle to shed pounds. There was plenty of talk in the wake of a scale fail last August against Roamer Alexis Angulo that he wouldn’t. That he couldn’t. But he would and could.

Light-heavyweight will have to wait.

Yet, it’s problematic how long a wait it’ll be before Benavidez will have to make the jump. He’s 24. He’s listed at 6-feet-and-1/2 inch and looks bigger. Light-heavy is inevitable and he knows it. The question is whether the Phoenix fighter can forestall that inevitability long enough to keep himself in line for Canelo in what would figure to be a mandatory shot at one of the Mexican’s titles. Benavidez lost the WBC version in August when he came three pounds heavier than the limit.

For now, it’s clear that Canelo has no interest in fighting anybody without a title or the right to a mandatory challenge. He talks about history, which means his priority is winning and keeping all of the relevant belts. That means Saunders, who has the WBO version. Then, there’s Plant, who holds the IBF title.  Canelo already has the WBA and WBC pieces to the puzzle, both of which he claimed in a one-sided decision over Callum Smith.

The other question is whether Canelo will even bother with a risky title defense. The aggressive Benavidez looms as risky a challenge as anybody in the division.  Canelo has been known to make risky challengers wait. To wit: Gennadiy Golovkin. GGG is still waiting for a third fight after a controversial draw followed by a debatable loss by majority decision.

Canelo is letting Golovkin grow old. GGG turns 39 on April 8. He might let Benavidez grow out of the division. It’s not clear whether Canelo will move up for a second bid at a 175-pound belt. He stopped Sergey Kovalev for a light-heavyweight title in 2019. Then, he relinquished it. For now, Canelo trainer/manager Eddy Reynoso says he doesn’t want him to fight against a naturally bigger man.

But, weight, like age, changes. Canelo, himself, still might grow into a natural 175-pounder. The real question might be Artur Beterbiev. How good is he? He looked unbeatable in a 10^th-round stoppage of Oleksandr Gvozdyk in a light-heavy unification bout in October 2019.

Beterbiev (15-0, 15 KOs) is back Saturday (ESPN/ET 3 pm) in Moscow against Adam Deines (19-1-1, 10 KOs). According to Sports Betting Dime, Beterbiev is a minus-5000 favorite, meaning his chances at winning are at 98.4 percent.

Translation: Beterbiev is all but a lock to look sensational, impressive enough to keep Canelo at super-middleweight for now or forever. Benavidez doesn’t have that option. But he does have fans, enough of them to keep him busy with at least one possibility. Jermall Charlo, an unbeaten middleweight champ, called him out his week.

“Yeah, let’s make that fight happen,” Charlo said on The Last Stand Podcast with Brian Custer.

Charlo called him a “punk.” He promised to knock him out. All music to Benavidez, who has never been afraid of trash talk.

“I give him four rounds, five rounds,’’ Charlo said. “I knock him out in about five rounds, six rounds—no more. He get hit too much. I’m powerful. I’ll explode on him.”

Charlo, like Benavidez, has been chasing Canelo. The idea is that a fight with Benavidez would put the winner in position to finally fulfil that ambition. Both are looking for opportunity. For Benavidez, Charlo is a much better one than a rematch with Anthony Dirrell. Been there, done that.  It also looks to be an easy enough fight to make. Both are linked to PBC (Premier Boxing Champions).

On any scale, it would be one way to stay in line and a better way to move on if Canelo says no.

Former two-time world champion David Benavidez stopped Ronald Ellis in round 11 of a scheduled 12-round welterweight bout at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Benavidez dominated the action against Ellis, who hung in there and tried to mount some offense, but Benavidez just had more weapons at his disposal and slowly broke down Ellis. Ellis was never knocked down in the fight, took a huge barrage of punches in the 11th frame, and the bout was stopped at 2:03.

Benavidez of Phoenix is now 24-0 with 21 knockouts. Ellis of Lynn, MA is 18-2-2.

Photo credit: Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME

David Benavidez

“I rate my performance pretty good but I know I could have done better. Ronald Ellis is a tough competitor. I just hope the fans like what they saw. I threw a lot of combinations, punches in bunches. There were a lot of times I thought Ellis was going to quit but he didn’t. Hats off to him, he’s a tough guy. It was a little later than I wanted but a stoppage is still a stoppage. I hope the fans got a good show tonight.

“I was just head hunting in the beginning. My game plan wasn’t going to the body until I kinda figured out he wasn’t really blocking those punches. I should have gone to the body earlier, I would have stopped him earlier.

“I wasn’t really tired at all. I think that’s what working in Big Bear does. Working in that high altitude makes your stamina crazy. This was the first time I’ve been on weight the whole week. So I just relaxed. With the diet I had and going back to Big Bear, I could stay at 168 for three more years. At the end of the day, I deserve to give my fans 110% of myself every time I step into training camp and Big Bear is that sweet spot for me.

“I want all the big guys. Speaking for the fans too, they would love to see me against all the big guys because as you can see, I love throwing punches. I love stopping people so me versus any big name would be an amazing fight. I want [Jermall] Charlo, Canelo Alvarez, Caleb Plant, all of them.

“I’m willing to fight in August or September, whoever they want me to fight against. I just turned 24, I like to get paid so I would like to fight two more times this year. Whatever my company says, I’m down for whatever they want me to do.

“Jermall Charlo was talking about me, saying he was going to knock me out. If it’s that easy, come do it. I feel like it makes sense for the company, for me and him – we both need that big step up to move on to bigger things. I think that would be a great fight. He said he wants to move up to 168. Now he’s back-peddling.

“I definitely feel like I would beat Canelo Alvarez and I feel like it would be a great fight for the fans too. At the end of the day, people want to see great fights and fireworks and that’s what I give. There are still some things I need to work on in the gym but I feel like I still beat Canelo at the end of the day. I’m getting more experience.

“I’m the youngest guy on this roster and I’ll knock everybody out if that’s what it takes to get some of you in the ring. Come see me.”

Ronald Ellis

“Hell yeah I wanted to finish. I didn’t want to give him that satisfaction. I could have moved a little bit more and not taken so many shots to the head. Hats off to him. He did what he had to do. He never hurt me, that’s the funny thing. I took a lot of shots but he didn’t damage me or have me super hurt. I never thought about quitting. I’m pissed.

“I could have popped the jab and controlled things a little bit more and not let him smother me. I thought that I was in shape enough to absorb all those shots. I just kept telling them to let me go one more round. You can’t cry over spilled milk. We’ll be back here and get a crack at it next time.”

Cruz Decisions Romero

Isaac Cruz won a 12-round unanimous decision over Matias Romero in a lightweight bout.

In round six, Cruz was deducted a point for low blows.

Cruz landed 156 of 552 punches; Romero was 196 of 616.

Cruz won by scores of 118-109, 115-112 and 114-113 and is now 21-1-1. Romero is now 24-1.

Photo credit: Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME

Isaac Cruz

“He was a fighter who didn’t want to exchange punches. We initiated the fight. He didn’t give any show at all.

“I was very fed up with the clinches – there was never a warning toward him. I did my best out there. Not the best way I wanted to do it but thank God we won the fight and we’re taking the victory home.

“He didn’t come to win. He was a very, very dirty fighter who had no interest in fighting with me. He was desperate. I’m not happy about the style of the fight but I am satisfied I took the victory home and we’ve come to the number-one spot in the WBA.

“I didn’t know what was going to happen [as far as the judges]. We forced the fight at all times and it would have been very impossible for the judges to do something to me when I was the one pushing the fight.”

Matias Romero:

“Obviously, I’m not happy with the decision. I thought maybe it was a draw. But I’m not going to argue. I did what I could. I think I could have worked a little more to the body and maybe grabbed a little less.

“Overall I’m happy with my performance. He’s supposed to the be the ‘Pitbull’ and I went the distance. You have to take the opportunities when they are presented and I wish I would have had more time to get ready for this fight.”

Gausha stops Clark in 2

Terrell Gausha stopped Jamontay Clark in round two of their 10-round super welterweight bout.

Gausha dropped Clark with a hard counter right in the 2nd frame. Gausha was all over Clark and landed a barrage of punches, and the fight was stopped at 2:44.

Gausha, 154 1/2 lbs of Cleveland, OH is 22-2-1 with 11 knockouts. Clar, 154 1/2 lbs of Cincinnati, OH is 15-2-1.

Terrell Gausha

“I knew Jamontay was a tough kid. I’ve been watching him since Cleveland so I knew about him already. I felt like I had a chance to knock him out but I didn’t know how the fight would play out. But I feel I did good, executed the game plan. My coaches had been studying film and we executed.

“I just took my time. I was setting traps. I knew he would be open eventually, but I had to be cautious too because he’s a rangy guy, has a good left hand. But I knew there were holes in his game and we executed. When the opportunity presented itself, we landed that big right hand.

“I didn’t know how early it would be. I felt like I could knock him out, but I thought it would take a few more rounds. I knew if I had him hurt that I would get him out of there. I noticed he was throwing a left hand but he was bringing it low. I couldn’t capitalize on it just then but I knew eventually I would get to him.

“I’m looking to fight in maybe June. I want the names out there. Obviously, all the belts are over here. I want to be a world champion so I’m looking to fight whoever I need to fight to get to the belts.

“I would definitely love a [Erickson Lubin] rematch. It’s all up in the air right now, but I’m one of those guys who loves a challenge. I’ve never said no to a fight if it makes sense. Erickson Lubin obviously he won that last fight. I would definitely like to avenge that loss. You’ve got [Erislandy] Lara out there, you’ve got a lot of people out there so I’m open to any fight. I’m going to be right back in the gym and stay ready.

“I know I made a statement tonight. I put the division on notice. I’m locked and loaded and I’m ready. I’m here.”

WBC Super Welterweight Title Eliminator – 12 Rounds

David Benavidez – 167 ¼ lbs.

Ronald Ellis – 167 ¼ lbs.

Referee: Johnny Callas; Judges: Don Trella (Conn.), Tony Paolillo (N.Y.), Tom Carusone (Conn.)

WBA Lightweight Title Eliminator – 12 Rounds

Isaac Cruz – 134 lbs.

Matias Romero – 134 ¾ lbs.

Referee: Harvey Dock; Judges: Glenn Feldman (Conn.), Steve Weisfeld (N.J.), Kevin Morgan (N.Y.)

Super Welterweight Bout – 10 Rounds

Terrell Gausha – 154 ½ lbs.

Jamontay Clark – 154 ½ lbs.

Referee: Arthur Mercante; Judges: Steve Weisfeld (N.J.), Tom Carusone (Conn.), John McKaie (N.Y.)

Veteran sportscaster Brian Custer will host the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® telecast while versatile combat sports voice Mauro Ranallo will handle blow-by-blow action alongside Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and three-division world champion Abner Mares. Two Hall of Famers round out the telecast team: boxing historian Steve Farhood as unofficial scorer and world-renowned ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. The executive producer is four-time Emmy^® award winner David Dinkins, Jr. The director is Bob Dunphy, son of legendary Hall of Famer Don Dunphy. Former junior middleweight world champion Raúl “El Diamante” Marquez and sportscaster Alejandro Luna serve as expert analysts in Spanish on Secondary Audio Programming (SAP). 

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

 # # #

ABOUT BENAVIDEZ VS. ELLIS:

Undefeated two-time world champion David Benavidez will meet dangerous veteran Ronald Ellis in a 12-round WBC Super Middleweight Title Eliminator in the main event of a stacked tripleheader on Saturday, March 13 live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. in a Premier Boxing Champions event. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast features a co-main event bout between two under-25 lightweight rising stars, Isaac Cruz and Matias Romero, when they meet in a 12-round WBA Lightweight Title Eliminator. The telecast opener features the return of 2012 Olympian Terrell Gausha against Jamontay Clark in a 10-round super welterweight affair. The event is promoted by TGB Promotions and Sampson Boxing.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – March 11, 2021 – Undefeated former two-time world champion David Benavidez and veteran Ronald Ellis spoke with the media for the final time ahead of their 12-round WBC Super Middleweight Title Eliminator Saturday, March 13 live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

This weekend’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast also features a co-main event bout between two under-25 lightweight rising stars, Isaac Cruz and Matias Romero, when they meet in a 12-round WBA Lightweight Title Eliminator. A 10-round super welterweight affair between Terrell Gausha and Jamontay Clark will open the SHOWTIME telecast. The event is promoted by TGB Promotions and Sampson Boxing.

Here is what the fighters had to say during fight week and during Thursday’s media availability:

DAVID BENAVIDEZ

“The thing about Ronald Ellis is that he moves around pretty good. He’s more of a boxer. I don’t see too much power, I don’t see too much speed. I’m prepared for a boxer, I’m prepared for a brawler. I’m not going to be extremely confident, but he should be very prepared for this fight because it’s a title eliminator. So I’m just going in there very cautious, and work how I work: jabs, uppercuts, body. Put pressure on him. It’s worked against everyone else, so I’m sure it’s going to work against Ronald Ellis as well.

“I’ve been preparing for this fight as if it was a world title fight. Whatever Ellis brings to the table come March 13 I’m going to be prepared for it. If he wants to bring pressure, if he wants to be a boxer and move around the ring, I’ll be ready for it. The way I’m feeling right now, I feel like it’s going to be an early stoppage. I feel great. I feel strong. I’m going in there to get an early stoppage.

“I’m not overlooking Ronald Ellis. I was looking for a big name and I didn’t really get that. But I give him the respect as a boxer and I prepared for him like he’s a world champion. I feel like I’m going to get a quick KO against Ellis.

“I’ve been very motivated and training extremely hard. I feel like this is the best training camp I’ve ever had. This is unchartered territory for me being on weight four days before. I had 13 weeks of camp so that’s more than enough time to get ready for whoever. If it’s Ellis, Canelo, (Jermall) Charlo, or whoever I’m in there against.

“The Charlo fight is the one that I want to make happen in September. Charlo has a lot to say about me and at the end of the day we are probably the best fighters in PBC and at SHOWTIME. So why not make it happen? On both my end and Charlo’s end. He doesn’t really have anyone else at 160 so it seems like a fight that should be fairly easy to make. I think Charlo makes the most sense because we both need a signature win to get to Canelo.

“Canelo is the big fish, and everyone wants the big fish. Whoever fights Canelo has to be at the pinnacle of their game. Without a doubt, Canelo is one of the best fighters today and I’m not taking anything away from him. But I feel like right now where I’m at in my life, I’m ready to accept a challenge like that. I just had a baby boy, and there’s no bigger motivation than that right now. I got youth on my side and I feel like I hit harder than Canelo and I have the speed too. All I need is to prove myself to the world and to the fans, and even to myself, that I’m the best. And I feel like I’m ready for that.

“I would love to get a fight with Caleb Plant. I think they’ve just been trying to give Plant the easy route so that they can prep him for a Canelo fight. They’re waiting to cash him out. He’s been getting back-to-back really easy fights. Even after he loses to Canelo, because I don’t think he can beat him, I would still love to get in the ring with him. Me and him still have a lot of unsettled business. I don’t like him at all. He thinks he’s the second coming of Mayweather and nobody is better than him but he hasn’t proved himself at all. He’s had no hard competition. Everybody he’s fought has been way over the hill and have all been beaten. If he really wants to prove himself as the champion, the only way he can prove himself is by fighting me.”

RONALD ELLIS

“This isn’t my first time in the bubble, so now I know what I’m expecting. It got way easier. I got no complaints. I did what I had to do.

“I got power. A lot of people seem to overlook it. But now it’s just time to show it. I’ll show my power on Saturday night.

“Just coming here on weight has been key, and doing what I had to do. Usually you could get into the hotel and shake a few pounds off, but here you can’t go anywhere. So I knew what I was getting myself into.

“I don’t feel like giving out the game plan, but I hope he pressures me. But I’ve got two hands too and I’m going to stay in there and I’m going to fight. I’m just going to mix it all up and do what I’ve been doing my entire career. Just all in one night.

“My boxing IQ is there and we’re just going to work. We’re just going to do everything we have do to get the win. To be the champion you have to beat the champion. And in my eyes, he’s still a champion.”

ISAAC CRUZ

“Training camp was very hard, I sparred for two months, my sparring partners trained me very well and we are extremely ready to take this win home.

“No, I do not feel pressure following a big knockout. I am always prepared to finish fights. That is why I train as hard as I do and prepare myself like I do.

“We prepare for fights to go the distance, and for me to knockout my opponent. If the knockout is there, I will take it, but we prepare ourselves for anything to happen and I am always ready.

“I always like to come forward because it allows me to change to something else. You never know when your boxing skills will have to take over. I like to keep my opponents guessing.

“Every fighter has a different strategy, so I can’t use what I did last fight and bring it to this one. I expect an excellent fight Saturday, and I will be ready.”

MATIAS ROMERO

“I want to thank my backers and my coach for training me for this fight and getting me ready. I’ve been preparing for this since I started boxing and I’m looking forward to Saturday night.

“I fit right into camp with German Caicedo. I felt comfortable, like I was one of the guys. The gym is known for that, the vibe that it has, all the fighters with the same goal. I’m grateful for that acceptance.

“I’m very excited. We’ll see if Isaac Cruz is what they’re saying he is. I’ve trained very hard for this fight. It’s a dream to fight on this stage, a dream to fight in the United States and I’m taking it very seriously. Cruz is a great fighter but we’ll see if he’s one of the best in the division come Saturday night.

“Obviously, I have a lot of faith in my ability. Cruz is a knockout artist, that’s what he comes to do and that’s all he comes to do. I’m a boxer but I can punch also so come Saturday night the two styles are going to showcase each other and I will be the victor.

“We are prepared if Cruz tries to change up his game plan. We don’t see that happening, but we have a plan for anything he tries to do. But we believe he’s going to be the same fighter he’s always been. Being on the bigger stage now, we don’t see him changing his stripes.

“I want to make sure that I belong on this stage, that this wasn’t a fluke or a handpicked scenario. I left my hometown with my father who has been with me since I was a kid and we’ve had a great camp. I feel very confident about Saturday night. I’m going to show the world and get the victory. I will leave it all in the ring. If it’s life or death, I’m prepared 100%.”

TERRELL GAUSHA

“Training camp has been good, I put all the work in, and my weight is great.

“I never pay attention to the odds because I have been an underdog my whole life. This is a good fight, and I look forward to putting on a dominant performance Saturday.

“With the Erickson Lubin fight I feel like I learned a lot that I was able to correct in training camp. One of the main things I need to do is let my hands go more with a southpaw and be effective. I look forward to landing some good shots an getting it done earlier.

“It definitely makes this second time in the bubble so much easier now that I have experience doing it. My coach always says we either win or learn. So I am taking that and my experience as a fighter into the ring with me.”

“We have a lot of pride coming from Ohio, and we all want to be the top dog. So I am looking forward to showing I am the one.

“I like challenges, and I never say no to a fight. When I hear them say I have a problem with southpaws and I do not let my hands go, it gives me motivation to prove people wrong and impress the fans.”

JAMONTAY CLARK

“Everything has been going pretty smooth. I’m just ready to get it on and get it over with. My first time in the bubble; it’s different but everything has been going smooth so far. My weight is pretty down so I’m just ready to go, ready for Saturday.

“Gausha is a slow starter. I’m going to press the issue and give the boy the business. I’m going to come out and be the best me I can be. I’m going for the gusto but I’m not going in there looking for the knockout. If it comes, it comes but I’m definitely coming out on top.

“Gausha will be a nice name on my resume. Hopefully this puts me into title contention. I’m looking forward to big fights and big paydays. We’ll do it on SHOWTIME hopefully.”

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

 # # #

ABOUT BENAVIDEZ VS. ELLIS:

Undefeated two-time world champion David Benavidez will meet dangerous veteran Ronald Ellis in a 12-round WBC Super Middleweight Title Eliminator in the main event of a stacked tripleheader on Saturday, March 13 live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. in a Premier Boxing Champions event. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast features a co-main event bout between two under-25 lightweight rising stars, Isaac Cruz and Matias Romero, when they meet in a 12-round WBA Lightweight Title Eliminator. The telecast opener features the return of 2012 Olympian Terrell Gausha against Jamontay Clark in a 10-round super welterweight affair. The event is promoted by TGB Promotions and Sampson Boxing.

NEW YORK – March 2, 2021 – Two-time world champion David Benavídez faces dangerous veteran Ronald Ellis in a 12-round WBC super-middleweight title eliminator Saturday, March 13 live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® telecast also features two under-25 lightweight contenders Isaac Cruz and Matías Romero in a 12-round co-main event bout. A 10-round super welterweight affair between Terrell Gausha and Jamontay Clark will open the telecast on SHOWTIME. The event is promoted by TGB Promotions and Sampson Boxing.

“The super middleweight division has quickly become red hot with so much talent bubbling to the top. David Benavídez is one of the most talented boxers at 168 pounds, which is proven by the fact that he’s an undefeated two-time 168-pound world champion,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Benavídez is fighting to reclaim his world championship and Ronald Ellis is fighting to claim his spot among the elite at 168 pounds. With that kind of motivation on both sides, this promises to be an explosive match. Isaac Cruz and Matías Romero are fighting to get to the top of the lightweight division and Terrell Gausha and Jamontay Clark are fighting to remain at the top of the super welterweight division. The entire show has intrigue that ripples through some of the best divisions in the sport.”

“On March 13, David Benavídez will move another step closer to regaining his beloved green and gold belt and remind the world he is the best super middleweight in all of boxing,” said Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing. “There will be no doubt in anyone’s mind after another spectacular performance by David ‘El Bandera Roja’ Benavídez.”

David Benavídez (23-0, 20 KOs), a boxing prodigy from Phoenix, Arizona, returns to the ring following a stoppage victory over Alexis Angulo at the “Fight Sphere” at Mohegan Sun last August. Benavídez turned pro at 16 and captured his first world title at age 20, becoming the youngest 168-pound world champion in history. An undefeated two-time super middleweight champion, Benavídez looks to earn another title opportunity at super middleweight. He was stripped of his WBC crown due to missing weight against Angulo. With nine of his 20 knockouts coming in the first round, the 24-year-old possesses one of the most devastating arsenals in all of boxing. It was on full display when he captured the super middleweight title for the second time via ninth-round TKO over fellow two-time champion Anthony Dirrell.

“I’ve had an amazing camp in Big Bear and this is the strongest I have ever felt so I’m looking to get an early stoppage against Ellis,” said Benavidez. “I’m glad this is a title eliminator and it’s going to be another step to being a world champion once again.”

The 31-year-old Ellis (18-1-2, 12 KOs) has been calling for the biggest fights at 160 and 168 pounds, and he has landed the toughest challenge of his professional career against Benavidez. Ellis, a native of Lynn, Mass., is fresh off a win over three-time world title challenger Matt Korobov who was forced to retire due to an injury during their December fight on SHOWTIME. Ellis has exhibited his slick boxing ability in recent outings but also possesses ferocious power, as evidenced by eight first round knockout victories in his career.

“It’s a fight but not just any fight,” said Ellis. “This is the type of fight I have trained for and wanted since I turned pro. He’s going to bring his best on March 13 and that will bring out the best in me.”

Cruz (20-1-1, 15 KOs) returns to the ring following the most impressive performance of his career – an emphatic first-round knockout against former world title challenger Diego Magdaleno in October. Fighting out of his hometown of Mexico City, the 22-year-old is quickly climbing the ladder in the lightweight division in pursuit of a world title. Cruz turned pro in 2015 at the age of 16 and suffered his lone defeat a year later, but his aggressive ring generalship has kept him unbeaten over the past five years.  

“I’m very excited to be fighting on SHOWTIME on March 13,” said Cruz. “The lightweight division is the hottest in boxing right now. This fight puts me one step closer to my dream of winning a world title for my Dad, Isaac Cruz, Sr. and my country, Mexico.”

Romero (24-0, 8 KOs) will put his perfect record on the line as he attempts to rise from prospect to contender with a win over Cruz. In his most recent fight this past November, Romero of Cordoba, Argentina defeated Javier José Clavero via unanimous decision in a fight at 130 pounds. The 24-year-old Romero’s most recent knockout came in March 2020 over Gabriel Gustavo Ovejero when he scored a fifth-round TKO in his last fight at lightweight. This fight will mark Romero’s U.S. debut and first appearance on SHOWTIME and Premier Boxing Champions.

“I’ve come so far from Argentina to bring myself one step closer to reaching my goal of being a world champion,” said Romero. “I know that Isaac Cruz is a big puncher but he’s never fought anyone with my speed and heart.” 

A decorated amateur who represented the United States at the 2012 London Games, Gausha (21-2-1, 10 KOs) continues his quest to win a world title. Following a sensational first round knockout against Joey Hernández in 2018, Gausha fought former world champion Austin Trout to a split draw and lost a decision against world title challenger Erickson Lubin in back-to-back bouts. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, the 33-year-old now lives and trains out of Encino, Calif., under the tutelage of accomplished trainer Manny Robles.

“I’m just blessed to be able to do what I love to do,” said Gausha. “I’m excited to be back on PBC and SHOWTIME thanks to Al Haymon. On March 13, I’m ready to go out there and show everybody what Terrell Gausha is made of and put on a show.”

Clark (15-1-1, 7 KOs) comes into this fight off a unanimous decision victory against Anthony Lenk last February. Fighting out of his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, the 26-year-old has only lost one professional fight, which came against former unified super welterweight champion Jeison Rosario in 2018. This will mark the southpaw’s first fight during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s been a while since I was in the ring and I’m just excited to be back taking on someone like Terrell Gausha, who will bring a good challenge and let me display all of my talents,” Clark said. “This is the first step in getting back to regular action and I’m not going to waste this opportunity. I’m going on a big run after I beat Gausha. As McFadden and Whitehead said, ‘Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now.’”

Veteran sportscaster Brian Custer hosts the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast while versatile combat sports voice Mauro Ranallo handles blow-by-blow action alongside Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and three-division world champion Abner Mares. Two Hall of Famers round out the telecast team: boxing historian Steve Farhood as unofficial scorer and world-renowned ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. The executive producer is four-time Emmy^® award winner David Dinkins, Jr. The director is Bob Dunphy, son of legendary Hall of Famer Don Dunphy. Former junior middleweight world champion Raúl “El Diamante” Marquez and sportscaster Alejandro Luna serve as expert analysts in Spanish on Secondary Audio Programming (SAP).

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

By Norm Frauenheim–

During days when there’s more talk about fights that don’t get made instead of those that do, promoter Eddie Hearn has an interesting idea involving the latest one to frustrate fans.

Caleb Plant-versus-David Benavidez has been near the top of the wish list for a couple of years, yet no amount of trash talk or apparent interest has moved it any closer to reality.

It’s right there, another fantasy fight consigned to never-never land. Maybe, it’ll show up as a co-feature on the Terence Crawford-Errol Spence Jr. card. Yeah right. Wait on. Dream on.

On the surface, Plant-Benavidez appears to be as unlikely as ever in the wake of Plant’s one-sided decision over Caleb Truax last weekend. Plant added a victory to his record and a loss to his reputation.

His skillset was exposed, shown to be wanting, especially in his hopes for a super-middleweight biggie with Canelo Alvarez. Perhaps, Plant’s performance was an aberration.

Plant had said he wanted to get past his mandatories. That’s all he did against Truax.  He also could have been limited by a hand injury, which he said he suffered midway throughout the 12-round shutout.

Maybe.

Just maybe.

Abundantly clear to Hearn and everybody else in a surprisingly large FOX audience (1.887 million, peaking at 2.019 million, according to Nielsen), however, was that Plant isn’t ready for Canelo any more than Benavidez is.

Hearn suggested during an appearance on “The Ak & Barak Show” (DAZN and SiriusXM) that Plant and Benavidez meet in what would be an eliminator for the right to face Canelo, perhaps in September.

It makes sense

Maybe too much sense.

Remember, this is boxing, constant chaos.

In post-fight interviews after Truax, Plant repeated that he intends to wait on Canelo, who has a mandatory defense scheduled for Feb. 27 against Turkish challenger Avni Yildirim in Miami and then a title unification fight with UK belt-holder Billy Joe Saunders in early May.

From a promotional standpoint, Plant-Benavidez might inject some anticipation for Canelo’s next couple of bouts. He’s a 20-to-1 favorite over Yildirim. Those odds figure to multiply as opening bell approaches.

The Saunders bout promises to be a lot more competitive, yet Canelo still figures to be the favorite. Plant-Benavidez would just be another reason to talk about Canelo, who recently signed a two-fight deal with Hearn. Talk is also another way of turning up the volume on Canelo’s ongoing campaign for No. 1 in the pound-for-pound debate.

It would work, work on a couple of levels.

Then again, it could come apart because of that constant chaos, boxing’s only reliable business model. It’s not clear how serious Plant’s hand injury is. If it keeps the super-middleweight belt-holder out of the gym for a long stretch, a promotional idea remains on the wish list.

More problematic, perhaps, is Benavidez’ weight. Can he make 168 anymore? He failed the day before his stoppage of Roamer Alexis Angulo last August. It cost him his belt and an immediate chance at Canelo. 

There’s talk that Benavidez is already in the 175-pound division. We’ll find out the day, March 12, before he fights Ronald Ellis on March 13 when he returns to the scene of the August scale fail at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn.

That’s when and where Benavidez will be back on that scale as either a light-heavyweight or with a renewed chance to get back in line for Canelo.

Sampson Lewkowicz, promoter for undefeated two-time WBC Super Middleweight World Champion David “El Bandera Roja” Benavidez, has sent the following letter to the WBC, requesting they reinstate Benavidez into their super middleweight rankings.

After failing to make weight for what would have been his first defense of the WBC strap against Roamer Alexis Angulo on August 15, the WBC graciously installed Benavidez (23-0, 20 KOs) as their #1 contender at light heavyweight.

However, after consulting with physicians in his hometown of Phoenix, Team Benavidez say they’re confident the pandemic played a major role in Benavidez’s weight problems and that 168lbs is still a safe weight to make for the 23-year-old Benavidez.

Benavidez was stripped of his WBC title by weighing in 2.8 pounds over the super middleweight limit but went on to score a dominating 10th round TKO over Angulo.

Lewkowicz says he’s requesting the WBC place Benavidez in the super middleweight ratings in a position where he can secure an elimination fight and start the road to regaining his championship.

By Norm Frauenheim–

Wait?

Or weight?

For David Benavidez, they are two options that sound alike and are linked by what he does after losing his super-middleweight title on the scale before his stoppage of Roamer Alexis Angulo last week.

He can wait, get back in line, fight his way back into a mandatory shot for his old title or a different one. The guess here: That wait wouldn’t be a long one. If he isn’t the world’s best 168-pound fighter right now, he soon will be.

But soon is a relative term, defined by a clock he can’t always control. Benavidez is 23. He’s growing, faster perhaps than he knows. His maturing body and metabolism will have the final say-so, no matter what he eats or how long he sits in a sauna.

For now, he’s gambling he can forestall the inevitable with a strict diet and Spartan-like discipline. He said after forcing Angulo to quit after the 10^th round that he’ll stay at super-middleweight.

In part, he blamed his weight – 2.8 pounds over the 168-pound maximum – on pre-fight changes forced by the COVID pandemic. I hear him. I’m dragging around a lot more than an extra 2.8 pounds since gyms and pools shut down. It’s hard to mask the quarantine fifteen.

“When I usually lose weight, I follow a system,’’ Benavidez said after he beat Angulo into submission at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. “Two gallons of water, you know, on Sunday, then two on Monday. Then, you know, but I cut all that off. You know what I mean? Because I wasn’t really sure how this bubble was going to work. We were only able to work out one hour a day, for an hour.

“And I didn’t have a sauna, and really the stuff I need to cut my weight. You know what I mean? But at the end of the day, I’m a man. You know, I missed weight, so you know, I’m not making any excuses. But I’m very disappointed about that. You know, stripped of my belt, paid a huge fine. You know what I mean? But at the end of the day, I’m still undefeated.”

He protected his record (23-0, 20 KOs). That was a wise move from a young fighter smart enough to know that Angulo was heavy-handed enough to be dangerous, especially if he had entered the ring weakened by a futile attempt to make weight. Benavidez could have returned to the scale two hours later. But he said no, knowing he couldn’t shed the extra pounds. He probably won’t remain unbeaten forever. Meanwhile, there are plenty of belts.

There are reasons to think his old belt, the World Boxing Council’s version, will be available to him after a relatively short wait. Canelo Alvarez got himself in line for it in a bout against Turk Avni Yildirim, who was set for a mandatory shot at Benavidez before the scale fail.

By a 36-1 vote this week, the WBC Board of Governors granted Canelo’s request for a shot at the vacated title. I’m not sure who cast the lone dissenting vote, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was somebody who has an investment in DAZN. Canelo-versus-Yildirim? Yildirim has two losses, including one to Anthony Dirrell, who Benavidez stopped a year ago. Safe to say, DAZN wants more for its money. The streaming service has been paying Canelo $33 million a fight. Now, there are reports that he is due $40 million for his next fight.

In a third fight against Gennadiy Golovkin, may be. Against somebody named Yildirim, no way.

In large part, Benavidez hopes to stay at 168-pounds long enough for a showdown against Caleb Plant, who holds the International Boxing Federation’s super-middleweight belt. Trash-talk escalation between Benavidez and Plant fueled hopes for a fight later this year. But COVID-19 changed expectations. Now, Benavidez-Plant doesn’t figure to happen until next year. It’s also not clear whether Plant would want to fight a Benavidez without a title.

For now, at least, Benavidez needs to test to determine whether he can still make 168. That means a bout under today’s COVID-dictated protocol with a 168-pound somebody. Maybe a somebody like Avni Yildirim.

Another scale fail would dictate a move up in weight to light-heavy.

Then, Benavidez would have to wait on Plant to make the move.

Wait and weight, it’s one of boxing’s inevitable combos.

By Bart Barry-

Saturday on Showtime undefeated former super middleweight titlist David “El Bandera Roja” Benavidez stopped Colombian ironchin Roamer Alexis Angulo with 10 rounds of abuse sustained enough to make Angulo’s corner wave the match’s completion six minutes early.  Friday afternoon Benavidez missed weight widely enough not to try making weight, losing his title yet again without losing a match.

Still it’s a joy to get back to writing about a prizefighter who thrills, howsoever baggy and loose be the circumstances and his skin.

Making weight might be a great deal more difficult for Benavidez than he lets on.  Theories of weightloss and -gain, fat and muscle, change hourly in this country, of course, and we’ll not confuse what follows for science any more than the last halfcentury of “science” on the matter should be confused for science, but rather let us entertain ourselves with a metaphor of containers.

Say you have 10 containers that at all times wish themselves full with water and have access to an abundance of water.  Now say you have 100 containers with the same access and wishes.  Now imagine that 10 full cups of water is your ideal weight.  You have but 10 cups and all are full?  Easy enough.  Just don’t add any more cups and homeostasis wins out.

Now imagine you have 100 cups and 10 full cups is still your ideal weight.  Every cup must be kept at or below 10-percent capacity, and all the cups have a wish to be full.  Allowing homeostasis its course and merely precluding a 101st cup be added is not a fraction your task, is it?  No, at every moment of every day you must find a means of thwarting 100 thirsty cups with access to an abundance of water.

This metaphor, cups as fat cells, is good an explanation as any why people who lose massive amounts of weight, as Benavidez once did, nearly always gain it back with interest.  What simpletons crow about “discipline” miss the point entirely; Benavidez once was disciplined enough to lose nearly 100 pounds, a feat well beyond the homeostasis crowd’s average member, but precluding every bite he puts in his mouth from replenishing what fat cells he accumulated years ago requires much more than skipping desserts during training camp.

This is why you hear the wonder in Benavidez’s voice as he talks about “something went wrong” in camp; he can’t believe that one dietary indiscretion three or four weeks ago had such an outsized and lasting effect; the math of his metabolism is not at all linear.

What Benavidez said after Saturday’s match is what you believe, not what he believes.  Smart kid.  He does the (linear) math of a lousy metabolism and incredible fast-twitch muscles and reads the script every varsity-level athlete with a fast metabolism would pen: I didn’t try hard enough, Coach, but I will next time.  He knows the curse of his metabolism is offset, for now, by the blessing of his athleticism, and he knows no one who hasn’t lost 100 pounds has any idea the impossibility of keeping those pounds from returning, and he’s a rich 23-year-old professional athlete, too, so he steers well away from anything like self-indulgence.  In public at least.

Trouble is, this weighty issue for Benavidez will grow only weightier as he ages.  If he’s still fighting under 200 pounds on his 30th birthday it’ll be a greater feat than anything he’s done in a prizefighting ring thus far.  He probably hasn’t the defensive chops to take his show to cruiserweight, either, and offensively gifted as he is he hasn’t power that’ll migrate successfully to 200.  He knows this, too.  It’s why he isn’t following in the footsteps of Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez – the other guy who shut-out Angulo – and skedaddling to light heavyweight without having fought the best men at super middleweight.  How much does anyone talk about Zurdo (40-0, 26 KOs) anymore?

Another bandera roja from Saturday’s postfight interview was just how eager Benavidez is to start over reclaiming his old place in the 168-pound division.

Benavidez: I missed weight, and I’m sorry.

Aficionados: You’re forgiven if you fight Callum Smith.

Benavidez: I know I have a long road ahead and your forgiveness will only come with time.

Aficionados: Kid, everyone makes mistakes – just make weight for your fight with Smith.

Benavidez: I’m willing to work hard to earn back your trust.

Aficionados: No need to do that if you fight Smith.

Benavidez: I’m going to start over and fight only medium-level contenders until you trust me again.

Aficionados: We trust you’ll make a great fight with Smith.

Benavidez: No immediate title shots for me until I deserve them again.

Who wins a match between The Ring’s champion and its top contender?  Hard to say.  Since winning the WBSS, Smith has been alternately inactive and unimpressive.  You’d have to favor the guy who knocked the stuffing out George Groves, though, in a match with Benavidez, if only slightly.

Benavidez didn’t learn anything in his Saturday heavybag session with Angulo but at least he got to do lots of rounds and punching.  Smith, meanwhile, spent his quarantine negotiating a fight with Canelo that didn’t come off because two geezer celebrities pulled a date-and-switch with Mexican Independence Day weekend, or because Smith priced himself out.

Good God, but there are so many eligible contenders, paydays and titlists at or around 168 pounds right now it’s awful to see the division’s two best fight but annually against the likes of John Ryder and Alexis Angulo!  Smith, as the recognized champion, no longer wishes to fight somebodies for less than millions, and Benavidez surely figures that, at age 23, he’s in no hurry.  Both may be squandering what get remembered as their physical primes.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

David Benavidez stopped Alexis Angulo after eight-rounds of their 12-round super middleweight bout at The Mohegan Sun Hotel and Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut

Benevidez dominated Angulo and continued to hurt him with power shots until the fight was stopped following the 10th round.

The bout was to be contested for Benavdiez WBC Super Middleweight title, but Benevidez checked in 2 3/4 pounds over the 168-pound weight-limit.

Benevidez of Seattle via Phoenix is now 23-0 with 20 knockouts. Angulo, 167 1/2 lbs of Colombia is 26-2.

David Benavidez: “I felt good, man. I rate myself a solid eight. I could have done some stuff better, but overall it was a great performance. I didn’t want to go too fast, leave myself exposed for some big shots. He’s a heavy puncher. But like I said, I like to do the stuff that nobody has ever done. Nobody has ever stopped him and I’m pretty sure nobody is ever going to make him look like that again. I demolished him from round one to round 11. But hats off to him and his team. Tough guy and they’re all gentleman, all-around.

“Like I said, I was going 15 rounds in camp. Everything was going perfect. I was so disappointed and embarrassed at myself. Everything everyone said about me is true. I should be a professional and come in on weight. But this time I couldn’t do it. It’s my first time not making weight in eight years of me being professional.

“I’ve got to go back to the drawing board. The diet has to be way stricter than it is, I’m a big guy. Hopefully I get another chance to fight for the WBC title again. I’m not going to ask for another shot right away. If they want to give it to me, good. If not, I don’t mind going to the back of the line and starting my way back up from the bottom.

“I want to get all these fights before I go up. I have to be even more dedicated than I already was. I felt like with training, as long as I didn’t miss any training session, running sessions, strength and conditioning, that I would be good. But the diet has to be way stricter. It was already good but something got messed up and, I don’t know, I couldn’t get those last pounds off.

You know, if they thought I had a discipline problem, it would have shown in the ring. Did I look tired, fatigued? Just because I missed weight one time doesn’t mean I’m not disciplined. But they’re entitled to say whatever they want because it’s true. I didn’t make weight. It’s up to me to go back to the drawing board and come back better next time.

“I really have to talk to my promoter to see what’s next. I don’t mind fighting anybody. I’ll fight anybody to get back to the spot I was. You could see by this performance tonight, I could put on a great performance against anybody. And people will pay to see that. So I have to talk to my promoters and I’m probably going to go right back into training camp to make sure I don’t miss weight.

“My baby boy comes in two weeks so I can’t wait to go be with my girlfriend and talk to my boy in my girlfriend’s stomach. In two weeks I’m going to be a father.” 

Romero Decisions Marinez to win Interim Lightweight Title

Rolando Romero won the WBA Interim Lightweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Jackson Marinez in a battle of undefeated fighters.

Romero was loading up for power shots all night, and it was Marinez who seemed to be landing more consistency all night.

In round nine, Romero was cut over his left eye from a right hand from Marinez.

Marinez oulanded Romero 103-86.

Romero, 134 3/4 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 118-110, 116-112 and 115-113 to raise his mark to 12-0. Marinez, 135 lbs of the Domincan Republic is 19-1.

Photo Credit: Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME

Attached see the Romero-Maríñez Scorecard and Stats;

Result: Romero UD over Maríñez, 115-113, 116-112, 118-110

QUOTES

Rolando Romero: “You guys say I had a bad performance. I don’t think I had a bad performance. I thought I won the fight. Regardless of everything, I’m the world champ now. I’m happy.

“He came out a little bit tougher and slicker than what I thought. But all he did was move around the entire fight. He didn’t even try to engage so it’s hard to knock out someone who doesn’t want to get knocked out or doesn’t try to engage.

“I hurt him multiple times, with body shots, with a few hooks. There was one moment I hurt him with a right hand and he pulled my head down. It was hard to finish him off because I hurt him a lot at the end of the rounds.

“Yeah [I would give him a rematch]. He didn’t do anything special.

“The other champions are still not going to fight me. I hope they get in the ring with me. Once my eye heals back up from the headbutt, I’m going to be back in the ring.” 

Jackson Maríñez: “That was pure robbery. I won the fight. I out-jabbed, out-boxed him. You could tell he didn’t think he won the fight right afterwards. It’s a robbery.”

Otto Wallin stopped Travis Kauffman in round five of their scheduled 10-round heavyweight bout.

Wallin was starting to put the pressure when Kauffman threw a left hand, and hurt his left shoulder. Later i the round, Wallin landed some flush punches as Kauffman was unable to raise his hand to defend himself, and referee Michael Ortega stopped the bout at 2:32

Wallin, 241 3/4 lbs of New York via Sweden is 21-1 with 14 knockouts. Kauffman, 234 1/4 lbs or Reading, PA is 32-4.

Otto Wallin: “No I didn’t anything from my COVID sickness. I’m sorry to everyone who lost to COVID.

“I was breaking him down. I had a lot left. Too bad he hurt his shoulder in the end. But I was breaking him and hitting him with good clean shots.

Next, I wanna go back to New York and relax a little bit. I’ve been training for a long time now. So I want to relax a little bit and hopefully I can fight by the end of the year.”

Travis Kauffman: “I tore my left labrum getting ready for the [Luis] Ortiz fight. Like a dummy I waited like five months to have surgery on it after the Ortiz fight. So I started feeling better and was going to do a tune-up fight in March, but then COVID happened. This opportunity came up and I didn’t want to pass it up and I felt good. In the first round I hurt it. I felt it, but then it went away and I thought maybe it’s just my mind and it went away. Then in the fifth round I heard it and that was it. It was torn again.

“I’m done. I’m retiring. I have kids. I’ve been doing this a long time.”

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – August 14, 2020 – WBC Super Middleweight World Champion David Benavidez missed weight today at the official weigh-in for Saturday’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader, losing his world title belt on the scale. Benavidez will face world title challenger Alexis Angulo in the main event as planned. Angulo can earn the WBC 168-pound title with a win.  All other fighters on the card made weight.  Final weights, photos and officials are below.

Complete weigh-in coverage provided by MORNING KOMBAT with hosts Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell including a live interview with Benavidez immediately following the weigh-in, is available here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyNuvsx1hE4&feature=youtu.be.

Photos from Friday’s official weigh in: HERE Credit: Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME

WBC Super Middleweight World Championship – 12 Rounds

David Benavidez – 170¾  lbs.

Alexis Angulo – 167½ lbs.

Referee: John Callas (West Hartford (Union, N.J.); Judges: John McKaie (Flushing, N.Y.), Chris Migliore (Las Vegas), Don Ackerman (West Oneida, N.Y.)

WBA Lightweight Interim Title – 12 Rounds

Rolando Romero – 134¾ lbs.

Jackson Marinez – 135 lbs.

Referee: Harvey Dock-Union (Union, N.J.); Judges: Glenn Feldman (Avon, Conn.), Frank Lombardi (Brookfield, Conn.), Don Trella (Noank, Conn.)

Heavyweight Bout – 10 Rounds

Otto Wallin – 241¾ lbs.

Travis Kauffman – 234¼ lbs.

Referee: Michael Ortega (East Haven, Conn.); Judges: John McKaie (Flushing, N.Y.), Chris Migliore (Las Vegas), Don Trella (Noank, Conn.)

David Benavidez on losing his world title on the scale:

“I’m very disappointed. This is obviously my first time missing weight. Just very disappointed to lose the title on the scale, but I’m still going to win the fight tomorrow. I put the blame on myself. It’s just the last three pounds wouldn’t come off. Maybe not having the proper things I needed like no sauna. I was only able to go to the gym an hour a day since I got here. It’s just a couple of different things, but I still have a job to do tomorrow. Maybe later the opportunity will present itself, but I still have a fight to win.

“I didn’t think this all the way through. Coming in I thought I would have access to more, but I didn’t. Maybe this is a message to all the other fighters who have a little bit of trouble with their weight. It’s going to be hard to make the weight if you already have trouble. If you need a couple extra things like the gym or the sauna, you better come into the bubble already on weight. Because it’s very hard.”

*  *  *

Saturday’s fights are presented by Premier Boxing Champions and promoted by TGB Promotions and Mayweather Promotions. The main event is promoted in association with Sampson Boxing and the Wallin-Kauffman bout is promoted in association with Salita Promotions and Kings Promotions.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotions or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing

By Norm Frauenheim-

From college football to gyms, it often seems as if the world is going out of business these days. It’s the shutdown era. But David Benavidez hasn’t seen the signs. He’s back in business, or at least he will be Saturday night.

Benavidez will resume his career, fighting for the first time in nearly a year in a super-middleweight title defense against a dangerous Colombian, Roamer Alexis Angulo on Showtime in Uncasville, N.Y.

It was a fight that was supposed to happen in mid-April in Phoenix. But the pandemic forced it to a later date and out of Benavidez’ hometown. Without any hometown fans allowed to be in the seats, it would have been hard to sell it as a homecoming anyway.

For now, at least, home is wherever and whenever Benavidez can finally answer another opening bell, this time in a fight to reignite the momentum he had after a stoppage of Anthony Dirrell last September at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

“Right now, I just want to get back into it,’’ said Benavidez, who at 23 is among the brightest young stars in an emerging generation expected to lead boxing into whatever awaits us in the post-pandemic era.

Without COVID and its crippling tentacles, Benavidez would probably have one, perhaps two, more victories on the left side of his unbeaten resume. He’d be further down his projected career path than he is now. But the boxing shutdown also was an opportunity, a moment to reflect on who he is. Who he wants to be.

Above all, he realized how much he missed the ring. And, above all, it sounds as if he deepened his commitment to a craft as uncompromising as it is brutal.

Amid uncertain times, Benavidez is more certain than ever.

“I feel like it’s a new chapter in my life,’’ Benavidez said during a call with reporters this week from Mohegan Sun Arena.

It is, in large part because Benavidez has more to fight for than ever. He’s about to be a father.

“In three weeks, I’m going to be a dad,’’ he said.

He’ll be a dad with lots of ambition, lots of skill to get what he wants and an evident willingness to fight. It’s that undisguised willingness that makes him so interesting. In terms of skill, he’s an unfinished fighter.

That was evident against Dirrell, who walked him into traps and punches before Benavidez simply wore him down and out. 

But that willingness, complemented by an abundance of energy, are traits of a fighter anxious to learn. Translation. There’s a lot of upside. He can get better. A lot better.

So much so that he believes he can be the world’s undisputed super-middleweight champ.

“There can’t be four champions at super-middleweight,” he said. “We can’t all be unbeaten. All of us need to take a risk. We need to fight each other. There’s Caleb Plant, Billy Joe Saunders, Callum Smith and hopefully, king of the boxing world, Canelo Alvarez.”

In Benavidez’ new life, he envisions fighting all of them. That would be more than one chapter. More like a book. But there won’t even be a forward without a victory over Angulo, who last January upset Anthony Sims in a pre-Super Bowl card in Miami.

“Angulo is very heavy-handed and he wants to win. He’s coming off of an upset win and I think that has him motivated to believe he can beat me,’’ Benavidez said. “…”I’ve just been working on every aspect of my game. My defense, the jab, body shots and keeping the distance especially. I think Angulo is the perfect opponent to display everything I have. This is going to be a rugged and tough fight but that’s what I expect for every fight from now on. As long as I prepare myself correctly, I think I’ll be fine.’’

Preparation is a sure sign of emerging maturity in Benavidez, who will be defending a World Boxing Council belt that he regained after it was taken from him for a positive cocaine test.

Benavidez is predicting a one-sided victory, but not necessarily a knockout.

“I want to win clearly,’’ Benavidez said of Showtime’s main event on a card scheduled to begin at 9 pm. ET/6 p.m. PT. “I don’t want there to be any doubt in anyone’s mind.’’

If he gets the decisive win, he wants to fight again in December or January. Benavidez hopes for an immediate title-unification shot at rival Celeb Plant. First, however, he might have to take care of a mandatory date against Avni Yildirim. Benavidez was supposed to Yildirim in April, but the Turk withdrew with an injury. That led to Angulo, but Yildirim is still ranked as the WBC’s mandatory challenger.

Whatever happens, a date with Plant appears to be more when than if. A long-running trash-talk exchange seems to make it inevitable.

“I want to fight Caleb Plant next.’’ Benavidez said “…I want those other belts. I want to take the chances now and show everybody, including myself, that I’m the best.

“There are lots of great fighters out there, great fights to be made for me. I want to take all of them.’’