By: Sean Crose
Over the weekend, super-middleweight David Benavidez hit his ceremonial first throw at a home game of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Things like that tend to be minor given the pitcher’s importance. Even so, little nods are nods anyway and that means the undefeated Benavidez is a fighter worth keeping an eye on. Not that serious fighting fans haven’t been following the 25-year-old’s career hard for some time. However, the first pitch at a major tournament game indicates that maybe – just maybe – the honoree could capture the interest of a wider audience.
Benavidez’s game this weekend against the hard-hitting and always entertaining David Lemieux may just be a match that non-fight fans will find interesting. For this match, it is unlikely to be a chess match, as the two fighters are warriors. 25-0 Benavidez hasn’t seen a fight go far in more than four years, and eventual competitor Lemiuex is a solid customer if ever. By taking on Lemiuex, Benavidez and his team have made the wise decision to continue the initiative against such a talented and famous boxer while the big fights remain (at least temporarily) difficult. catch.
The truth is that Benavidez wanted to get into the ring with Canelo Alvarez for a long time. After all, both men fight at 168 pounds, and no one in his or her mind would consider Benavidez an easy pick. Still, it’s hard to get a duel with the sport’s biggest names, and much of 2022 has seen Canelo face the likes of Dmitry Bivol and arch-rival Gennady Golovkin. More than that, Bivol shook the fighting world by defeating Canelo when they met a few weeks ago for Bivol’s light heavyweight title. Now that Canelo’s future is uncertain, note that the man will be back in the ring as soon as possible. What that means for Benavidez is that the fight with Canelo is likely to go deeper than some might expect.
If that proves to be true, it means that the Phoenix native (thus being thrown off the opening court in the Diamondbacks game) may have to assert and present itself in front of the likes of Lemieux and the good boxers. but no other good before he found himself in a pay-per-view level event. However, provided the man continues to weather solid competition, Benavidez will find it increasingly difficult to turn down a spot in the limelight. In the end, a climax might just be a matter of time for the Arizonan.
