Unbeaten two-time world champion David “El Bandera Roja” Benavídez returned to his hometown of Phoenix for the primary time in six years and closed the present in spectacular style, scoring a seventh-round TKO over contender Kyrone Davis in the primary occasion of motion reside on SHOWTIME from Footprint Middle in a Premier Boxing Champions occasion.
The 24-year-old Benavídez (25-0, 22 KOs) displayed a full arsenal of punches to dispatch a valiant effort from Davis (16-3-1, 6 KOs), who stepped in to battle the WBC’s No. 1 tremendous middleweight contender on simply two weeks’ discover. Davis confirmed unimaginable coronary heart and guts, taking excessive quantities of punishment all through the battle however he by no means hit the canvas and regardless of what number of punches he was hit with, he at all times returned the hearth.
Davis’ coach, Stephen “Breadman” Edwards, put an finish to the punishment at :48 of spherical quantity seven when he threw within the towel. Watch the stoppage HERE:
Towel will get thrown in spherical 7. @benavidez300 will get it carried out in opposition to a sport @KyShutitDown#BenavidezDavis pic.twitter.com/S2UBogp4YD
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) November 14, 2021
“That was an awesome efficiency on my finish,” Benavídez instructed SHOWTIME’s Jim Grey following the stoppage. “A variety of braveness by Kyrone. A variety of respect to him and his staff. He’s a tricky dude. I got here out right here to provide the followers battle and we each left all of it out within the ring.”
With November 13 formally being named “David Benavídez Day” in Phoenix, the boisterous crowd at Footprint Middle urged their hometown hero on with each punch. Benavídez landed 137 of 258 energy punches (51 %) and focused Davis’ physique all through the battle. He linked on 50 physique punches, 45 of which had been energy punches.
“It was powerful however the factor about me is that I’ve a lot conditioning that I’m going to maintain going till he ultimately stops,” Benavídez continued. “That’s what ultimately occurs. They have an inclination to surrender. I do know that I don’t have that one-punch knockout energy however I’m going to be able to get you each single spherical.”
The 27-year-old Davis performed his function within the crowd-pleasing fundamental occasion and earned the respect and admiration of all people watching.
“I’m somewhat disillusioned,” Davis stated. “I want I might have pulled out the victory. I don’t like dropping. I got here in on two weeks’ discover. Disgrace on (Jose) Uzcategui for being on steroids. I needed to are available on brief discover however I fought like a warrior. I’m dwelling my dream. I really like popping out right here and placing on an awesome present. Combating is in my blood. I used to be raised like this.”
With the unbeaten streak to begin his profession nonetheless intact, Benavídez, the previous two-time tremendous middleweight champion, now has his sights set on a mega-fight at 168 kilos.
“All people desires to see me in opposition to Canelo, proper? I don’t care what his evaluation of my battle is however they hold placing these contenders in entrance of me. My final battle was a WBC Title Eliminator and that’s why I’m right here holding my belts. They should give me the chance. I’ll undergo anyone. Whoever they need me to undergo. If (Jermall) Charlo desires it, he can get it too. However he doesn’t need to get within the ring with me.”
Within the co-main occasion, Jose Benavídez Jr. (27-1-1, 18 KOs), David’s older brother by 5 years, returned after a 37-month layoff to battle Emanuel Torres (17-3-1, 5 KOs) to a majority draw. In a battle that would have gone both means, the judges scored the competition 96-94 for Benavídez and 95-95 twice. Watch the choice HERE:
Majority draw for #BenavidezTorres pic.twitter.com/TCwX1Q8zKL
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) November 14, 2021
“I don’t know the way I received a draw,” a disillusioned Benavídez stated over loud boos from a hometown crowd that so badly wished to see Benavidez earn the win. “We will run it again. I beat him. I assumed I beat him. He saved working. He didn’t need to keep within the pocket. I can’t do something concerning the judges’ selections. I felt good. He simply saved holding. I beat him each spherical. What can I do?”
In Benavídez’s first motion since dropping a 147-pound title showdown to Terence Crawford in October 2018, it was a battle of his energy and physique work versus Torres’ exercise and accuracy. Benavídez spent a majority of the battle making an attempt to stroll down Torres. He landed 64 physique punches all through the ten rounds, however was prone to Torres’ counter-punching and accuracy to the pinnacle. Torres was the a lot busier fighter, throwing 612 punches to Benavídez’s 375. Nonetheless, the ultimate whole landed punches had been shut with Torres touchdown 135 and Benavídez touchdown 122.
The tenth and closing spherical was crucial to the battle’s final result. Getting into the spherical, Torres trailed on all three judges’ scorecards. He out-landed Benavídez 13-4 on 23 extra punches thrown, profitable the spherical on all three scorecards to show the battle from a unanimous resolution loss to a majority draw.
“You possibly can hear from the group. I felt I received the battle,” stated Argentina’s Torres. “As a customer, I got here right here to his yard and so they nonetheless gave it a draw. Think about if this could have been in Buenos Aires. I positively need the rematch. Let’s see what my administration staff says however I positively need it.”
The telecast opened with a particular replay of Canelo Álvarez’s history-making win over Caleb Plant and instantly following the SHOWTIME telecast, ALL ACCESS: CANELO VS. PLANT EPILOGUE premiered on the community.
Saturday’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will replay Sunday, November 14 at 9 a.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME and Tuesday, November 16 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME.
Veteran sportscaster Brian Custer hosted the SHOWTIME telecast whereas versatile fight sports activities voice Mauro Ranallo dealt with blow-by-blow motion alongside Corridor of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and three-division world champion Abner Mares. Three Corridor of Famers rounded out the SHOWTIME telecast staff – Emmy® award profitable reporter Jim Grey, unofficial scorer Steve Farhood and world-renowned ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. The manager producer is four-time Emmy® award winner David Dinkins, Jr. The telecast was produced by Ray Smaltz III and was directed by Chuck McKean. Former junior middleweight world champion Raúl “El Diamante” Marquez and sportscaster Alejandro Luna served as skilled analysts in Spanish on Secondary Audio Programming (SAP).
