“I didn’t really feel anything, bro. I didn’t feel any power,” Benavidez said Battle hype when asked about WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion Zurdo Ramirez’s strength last Saturday. “I felt like I was taking every shot pretty well.”
That was telling, given who he was in. Ramirez came in as the naturally bigger man, someone who operated at cruiserweight. On paper, it’s supposed to be the threat. In the ring it never showed.
Benavidez kept a tight high guard early to catch the left hand and stepped forward behind his jab. Once settled, he began digging towards the body, forcing Ramirez to give ground. The combinations came in waves: jab, right hand, left hook, and they didn’t slow down.
There were moments where Ramirez landed cleanly, the type of shots that usually get a reaction. The crowd responded. Benavidez did not. He stayed ahead of him and continued to work.
Even Mike Tyson was heard during the fight telling him not to take unnecessary shots. Benavidez’s reaction afterward made it clear he never felt in danger.
“I’m not here to take easy rides. Wherever the toughest fight is, that’s where I want to be,” Benavidez said.
If a bigger opponent can’t get his respect, it changes how the rest of the division looks at him. Names like Dmitri Bivol and Artur Beterbiev are the obvious targets.
Benavidez took away the one thing Ramirez was supposed to bring. The power never arrived, and it didn’t change anything once the pressure built. That’s a problem for anyone watching him at this weight.
