David Benavidez was vexed when the elite of the super middleweight division tossed him on the back burner. It’s not that they were afraid of him, but the risk simply wasn’t matching up with the reward. So, in the meanwhile, he beat up tenuous opponent after tenuous opponent. (photo by Ryan Hafey)
Slowly but loudly, Benavidez (28-0, 24 KOs) punished everyone who stood before him, often sending them to the emergency room. Eventually, the rest of the division took notice. With his name finally buzzing, Benavidez began landing the sort of big fights he always wanted.
Earlier this year, the 26-year-old headlined his first pay-per-view against Caleb Plant. During their curse-filled build-up, Benavidez promised to hurt the former champ. Once they officially got it on, however, the current WBC interim titlist realized that Plant was both skillful and incredibly tough.
A win was salient, but Benavidez knew more difficult nights would soon arrive. Just a few months after squeaking by Plant, Benavidez’s words became prophetic.
Demetrius Andrade, a former two-division champ down on his luck, brazenly challenged Benavidez. Unsurprisingly, he accepted. As he began putting in the work, Benavidez would spend countless nights thinking about what Andrade was going to bring to the table.
His confidence was never an issue but considering that Andrade was a former Olympian, a multiple-time champion, and incredibly crafty, Benavidez knew he would have his hands full.
This past Saturday night, at the Michelob Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Benavidez and Andrade stared at one another in the center of the ring and began letting their fists fly. An arduous night at the office was all Benavidez could think of. But, following three fairly difficult rounds, even he was surprised by how things played out.
One sledging right hand changed everything. Andrade (32-1, 19 KOs) fell to his knees once it connected. Soon after, the 35-year-old began moving more than normal. Still, even with his legs working overtime, he couldn’t get away.
In short, it took Benavidez only six rounds to get rid of a fighter that was universally respected. As Benavidez reflects on how the night unfolded, he can’t help but notice that he barely broke a sweat.
“Honestly, he wasn’t as tough as I thought he was gonna be,” Benavidez told ESNEWS.
In no way was Benavidez attempting to come across as disingenuous or flippant towards his former opponent. Although he dominated for long stretches, he refused to kick Andrade while he was down.
Being more resilient and dogmatic in his approach was expected from the now-fallen former champion. But, with that said, Benavidez credits both the ridiculous work he put in behind the scenes and his maturation as the main reasons why he was able to dominate an elite fighter.
“I think I just prepared myself to a different level. I think I’m just entering my prime.”