By: Sean Crose
Size didn’t matter on Saturday night as Jose Benavidez proved unsuitable for the younger and older Danny Garcia. Having left the ring about a year and a half after losing to Errol Spence, there are many questions about how well Garcia will perform now as he transitions from welterweight to junior middleweight. Those questions may remain unanswered, but the Philadelphia-born player certainly got off to a good start on Saturday. Right from the opening bell, the former 36-3 player showed that he was simply superior to the 28-1-1 opponent.
It was a strange fight, as 30-year-old Benavidez appeared extremely confident throughout the process that his size and strength would inevitably lead to Garcia’s death before the final bell rang. It simply didn’t happen, and all the world’s performances by the Phoenix fighter couldn’t change that. Oddly enough, Benavidez seemed to do well on Garcia’s punches in the first eight rounds while not doing much on his own. And when it comes to punching, he doesn’t often land effectively. Of course, Garcia has a lot to do with that, but Benavidez’s strategy is still completely confusing.
Things finally changed a bit in the ninth inning, as Benavidez started to land well and efficiently. However, Garcia continued to look sharp and sharp in the tenth. Once again, Garcia of Philadelphia simply turned out to be a significantly better boxer than the promising Benavidez. Garcia reminded everyone on Saturday how good a boxer can be. Although few would call Garcia great, he has certainly shown how close he has come to the top of the mountain of talent – even in his early 30s. And so the boxer called “Swift” missed the punches, beating his man for the rest of the fight, which, of course, he won by majority decision.
“I got over some anxiety and depression and I was just doing my best to stay strong,” Garcia said afterward, fighting back tears as he talked about his time away from the ring. “The pressure of life, the pressure of boxing, of being a good father,” he says, admitting the worries have caused him pain. What about the future? “I want a rematch with Keith Thurman,” he said. Garcia also mentioned Erislandy Lara as a potential rival.
