A visibly emaciated David Benavidez said at the Grand Arrivals today that he still has three pounds to cut for Friday’s weigh-in for his fight against Anthony Yarde this Saturday, November 22, in Riyadh.
(Credit: Queensberry/Leigh Dawney)
Benavidez shows up looking drained
Benavidez’s lean appearance has some fans wondering how much weight he’s cutting to make 175. If he’s that thin at 178, that’s a sign he should already be cruiserweight.
If he is drained to make weight, he could be vulnerable against the big punch Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs) on Saturday. It’s the wrong guy for WBC light heavyweight champion Benavidez, who he’s tired against due to a tough weight cut. The way he looks today, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he rehydrates into the mid-190s or even 200s.
“This is one of my easiest weight loss. I have about three pounds left. Right now I’m at 178. So, three pounds,” said an emaciated David Benavidez. DAZN Boxing at today’s Grand Arrivals in Riyadh.
This is Benavidez’s “easiest weight” cut? what do i hear It says a lot about how much he cut down when he fought at super middleweight, and looked enormous when he entered the ring. When you are bigger than your opponents, it gives you a huge advantage.
Gvozdyk and Morrell remind us of reality
It’s worth noting that Benavidez’s knockouts have dried up since moving up to 175. Despite still looking bigger than his opponents in this weight class, he hasn’t come close to hurting the two fighters he’s fought at light heavyweight, Oleksandr Gvozdyk and David Morrell. Indeed, they were the ones who hurt Benavidez.
Benavidez claims that power still exists
“I know that’s not true because in the fight with Gvozdyk I hurt him. In the fight with Morrell I hurt him,” Benavidez said when asked about his response to the critics who said he didn’t increase power from 168 to 175.
I watched the Benavidez vs. Watched Gvozdyk fight three times, and there was never a sign that Oleksandr was hurt. The one who got hurt in this fight was Benavidez in the 11th round when Gvozdyk hit him with a hard punch in the breadbasket. Benavidez’s offense was shut down for a full minute while he recovered. If his power didn’t hurt Morrell or Gvozdyk, what happens when Yarde walks him? He’s not going to have the doll in his grasp to fight off Yarde. Benavidez will have to depend on his ability to absorb punishment. Against Morrell, he looked defeated afterwards.
“What I did for this camp, I went back to the basics, with footwork, using distance, using head movement,” Benavidez said. “We’re going to have to set up traps. These are the bigger guys. So, if I walk them off, it’s not going to work like I did at 168.”
The moment he gets hit…
Benavidez is such a hothead that it’s impossible to believe he won’t fight like he always does by going on the attack as soon as he gets hit. He is one of those fighters who fights on emotion. Benavidez is too trigger-happy for his own good.
He gets a look on his face when pinned, and immediately fires back with combos. That’s the way Benavidez is, and that’s why he took so much punishment against Morrell and Gvozdyk. Can a fighter who loses his mind when hit really stick to a ‘Game Plan’? This is not realistic. He says he’s going to fight at a distance and use his footwork, but once Yarse nails him with a good shot, he’s going to go back to his old self.
“So, I say my strength did not bear, I know for a fact I can hurt these guys. Now I have to follow the game plan, work behind the scenes. I see myself having opportunities to hurt Anthony Yarde. I just have to follow the game plan.”
Cruiserweight Move becomes inevitable
If Benavidez hasn’t hurt his last two opponents at 175, it’s hard to believe he’ll start showing power now. His exhausted, painfully thin appearance today suggests he could be weak and drained on Saturday, fighting on empty.
If he loses to Yarde, he’ll have a good excuse to tell the fans. It would be smart for Benavidez to move up to cruiserweight at that point rather than staying at 175 to continue putting his body through the wringer and making weight.
