David Benavidez didn’t get A level foe he wanted, but he’s excited about Jose Uzcategui match

It’s not the extent of foe he’s been publicly agitating for, but it surely seems to be like David Benavidez, the 24 yr previous tremendous middleweight with a 24-0 professional document, is happy along with his subsequent in-ring task. The Phoenix, Arizona native will tackle Jose Uzcategui Saturday, August 28, and the tussle will unfold on the Footprint Middle in Phoenix.

Benavidez final gloved up in March, when he downed Ronald Ellis, and the tremendous middleweight exhausting hitter advocated for himself to battle larger names than the Venezuelan pugilist Uzcategui, who’s 3-2 in his final 5.

Some individuals may protest that COVID has messed issues up. However the extra of “gimme” fights, or bouts the place the A facet is an actual heavy favourite, has been the norm method earlier than the pandemic.

Give me Canelo, or give me Caleb Plant, let me on the larger canine, Benavidez has proclaimed. The 30-4 Uzcategui shouldn’t be, to be candid, a “larger canine” within the area. He’s not within the RING high ten at 168, and has misplaced step-up fights to Matt Korobov and Caleb Plant, whereas going 1-2 in opposition to Andre Dirrell in 2017 and 2018.

RING has Carlos Gongora at 10, Fedor Chudinov 9, Daniel Jacobs 8, David Lemieux 7, John Ryder 6, Anthony Dirrell 5, and Billy Joe Saunders at No. 4.

Uzcategui owned the IFB 168 strap for a spell, after downing Dirrell, however misplaced it in his first protection, to Plant. He triumphed in his final two bouts, however in opposition to journeymen. Regardless, even when that is one other match with a transparent A facet and a heavy-underdog B sider, Benavidez appears jazzed in regards to the occasion. See beneath his Instagram submit which went up after this Premier Boxing Champions/Showtime presentation bought introduced:

The tango is being marketed as a “WBC Tremendous Middleweight Title Eliminator,” and will probably be on the Showtime platform.

A part of David’s enthusiasm degree might be credited to the truth that massive bro Jose Benavidez (27-1), age 29, might be on the cardboard, assembly Argentine Francisco Emanuel Torres. David turned professional as a teen in 2013 and he final plied his commerce for Phoenix-area patrons in 2015. Jose fought on that very same card, besting Jorge Paez Jr. In his final outing, in October 2018, Jose Benavidez bought stopped in spherical 12 by Terence Crawford.

“I’m tremendous excited to battle in entrance of my hometown followers,” David Benavídez mentioned in a launch which went out Thursday round lunch time. “It’s a dream come true for me to return again house as a two-time world champion. I’m coaching for Uzcategui like he’s a world champ as a result of he has quite a lot of expertise and he’s a hungry fighter. I do know that he wants this win, however I received’t let that occur. I’m staying devoted and motivated to win on August 28 on Showtime and I wish to look spectacular doing it with a view to get even larger and higher fights sooner or later.”

Benavidez strikes me as a throwback sort. I wager he’d wish to be as busy as Duran was when he was 24. The Panamanian legend fought seven instances in 1975, when he was 24 years previous.

Uzcategui did a superb job to make this essential occasion appear necessary within the launch. “I’m excited to be again on the massive stage for this battle,” mentioned the 30 yr previous Uzcategui. “I do know what I’m up in opposition to with Benavídez. He’s a terrific fighter, and that’s my greatest motivation. That is going to be a warfare and I can’t wait to present the individuals a terrific battle. Each of us come to brawl, so that is going to be a traditional on August 28.”

Sampson Boxing and TGB Promotions will group as much as put the cardboard collectively.

My Three Cents: Sure, it needs to be mentioned, I really feel annoyed by the truth that each Plant and Benavidez are below the identical banner, of Haymon Boxing, however haven’t confronted one another. Positive, you possibly can word that this kind of avoidance is in place all around the map in boxing, and also you’d be proper. However Plant has been a heavy favourite in his final 5 matches, and he fights actually sometimes (as soon as in 2018, twice in 2019, as soon as in 2020, and as soon as up to now in 2021). What’s he ready for, what’s everybody ready for, don’t these boxers wish to take a look at themselves in opposition to foes who’re perceived to be at their degree? It’s no thriller why boxing has been treading water, at finest, for the final X variety of years when the athletes who’re speculated to be among the many finest of their subject are put into and conform to battle a continuing weight-reduction plan of underdogs, despite the fact that they battle far much less steadily than the highest canine of prior eras did. Boxing will keep proper on this similar place, or proceed to wither due to the timid matchmaking, until followers and media begin agitating extra forcefully for essential occasions that aren’t so usually foregone conclusions.