David Benavidez and Oleksandr Gvozdyk faced off at the final press conference in advance of their PPV clash for the vacant WBC interim light heavyweight title on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
David Benavidez: “I’m looking to steal the show. We got two more days till ‘El Monstro’ comes out, so I’m very excited…I didn’t feel like there was any reason to stay at 168 any longer. My main goal was to win all the belts at 168. Canelo is holding all the belts hostage and I’d been at 168 for the past 10 years so my naturally my body is getting bigger and I think this is just a perfect time to come up and I’m looking to capture all the titles in this class.”
Oleksandr Gvozdyk: “I’m going to resist the Monster…I’m going to win this fight because I’m in the best shape of my life.
Benavidez by Ko 8th round.
I agree. Benavidez’s high work rate along with his lack of fading in the late rounds will put Gvozdyk working overtime. Gvozdyk faded in the later rounds against Beterbiev. Beterbiev’s high work rate gradually drained Gvozdyk to where his punching power was drained. Benavidez will set the tone for the fight since he stalks and cracks his opponents with a high work rate. Only item that Gvozdyk has in arsenal is a puncher’s chance in the first half of the fight, but I dont see it happening. Benavidez with a TKO.
Kinda sad a governing body and Alvarez’s dodging actions kept the big fight with Benavidez from going down. Favoritism and politics rule the sport of box. Alvarez did, however, make the crucial mistake by thinking he could handle Bivol by his own endeavors and then realized he bit off more than he could chew. Benavidez needs to keep pushing and sooner or later, we all can hope Alvarez gets cornered to take the fight.
Yea but if canelo did not fight bivol you would be complaining saying that canelo ducked bivol
“Yea but if canelo did not fight bivol you would be complaining saying that canelo ducked bivol”
– Bivol is not in Alvarez’s weight class.
– You can’t “duck” someone who is not in your weight class……
Canelol thought it would be easy like Kovalev and soon found out had no business at 175 with the 1 of top dogs. We wanted David at 168 so cherry picked and had little Charlo and Mungia skip the line! Canelo is a duck and you new generation casuals are bad for boxing! We Gen X always wanted to see the best fight the best.
I kinda doubt we ever see that fight. Straight up, Benavidez is too big for Alvarez. Bivol was too big for Alvarez, but his style wasn’t something too risky. And we saw how that ended.
I’d say this though, Gvozdyk shouldn’t be looked past. If you throw out the Beterbiev fight where Gvozdyk fought valiantly but got his brakes beat off, he’s looked sensational. He’s a legit top talent and this is no gimme fight for Benavidez. This is a huge test and not far from a 50/50 fight.
By alvarez refusing to fight him pretty well takes care of who we would think would win so I don’t think that fight is necessary, alvarez is looking for safer fights so he can close the show on a winning note, plus alvarez knows it would be a hard fight win or lose and at point in his career does he have it in him to do that.
Alvarez never refused to fight Benavidez. Benavidez never offered or pressed to get the fight done. That fight also was never ordered. Prior to Caleb Plant Benavidez never fought anyone to get Canelo’s attention either. In-fact it was Benavidez who was the one that ran away from the opportunity not Alvarez. It’s the bias Canelo haters that keeps bringing up that he’s ducking Benavidez but it’s not true whatsoever. A lot of people fail to look at it with an un-bias mind. Benavidez moved up weight before he was declared Canelo’s mandatory by the WBC this past March 2024. Benavidez was never Canelo’s mandatory prior to this year. If Benavidez would have just waited instead of requesting to move up weight to 175 before is mandatory status took effect. He could have activated his mandatory status and the fight would have been ordered to take place instead he ran away from the opportunity to fight for an opportunity at the 175 titles instead. I’m a real boxing fan that looks at it from all sides. I’m not a casual.
Unless you were in on the negotiations or one of these guys advisors, I say you don’t know shite. To a casual, to a hardcore fan, or to a fan that only watches big fights canelo ducked benavidez. Of all people said it best, Mayweather if a fighter wants a particular fight all he has to do is tell his promoter and it gets done. Those that set the price too high don’t really want the fight. Benavidez beats canelo, if it gets done at this point who cares, but you ain’t going to see them fight this year, so that leaves next year, no way benavidez goes back down to 168 probably what canelo hoped for.
“I’m a real boxing fan that looks at it from all sides. I’m not a casual.”
– Congratulations on being a real boxing fan…….
Well Saturday we will find out if Gvozdyk “36” either still has a little in the tank or is past his prime. I expect Benavidez to win because Gvozdyk’s age and the fact the man hasn’t fought a valued opponent since his loss to Beterbieve. But if Gvozdyk has just little bit more in the tank he could upset Benavidez because David hasn’t beaten a big opponent other than a Canelo leftover in Caleb Plant who he couldn’t even stop. Benavidez has weak defense, he gets hit a lot and is flat footed. Power will only take you so far “Wilder” that and the fact he hasn’t really beaten anyone of prominence. I’m not a David Benavidez fan because I feel the man is overrated, his resume is not good. He needs to start fighting good fighters not over the hill aging past their prime fighters or overrated trash like Andrade”.
Ben defense not good against alvarez. He will put him down with a body shot. Ben has not shown enough skill to fight the top dogg all his fights or not against a top opponent. Has much to show still
Let’s see how Benavidez looks fighting someone his own size, you can tell in the pic that Gvozdyk is just as big as the Monster. If the Canelo fight comes off against Benavidez, it will be at 175 lbs, IMO.
It’s not going to happen. Canelo will fight Crawford.
Benavidez & Gvozdyk will be the fight of the night.
I’m stoked for this one. David is going to have some rough moments in this one. I think it’s a pick em fight, too close me to pick a winner .
Let’s go Govzdyk!
Rooting for the nail to hammer this home, but my money says benavidez in nine.
Benavidez shoulda taken an easier fight before Gvozdyk – very even matchup – Gvozdyk frightening KO of Stevenson was fatigue and a lot of short counters – but Benavidez not as scary as Stevenson.
Canelo is still living rent-free in his head I. Let it go. Canelo has no interest in fighting Benavidez. He had better be worried about what’s in front of him at light heavy. I expect him to get the stoppage by round 8 or so.