On Friday, 🇺🇸David Benavidez was taking shot after shot from the boxing world after giving up his WBC Super-Middleweight title for the second time without taking the ring. Benavidez came in nearly three pounds over the 168 pound limit and lost the belt on the scales, leaving his opponent 🇨🇴Roamer Alexis Angulo as the only fighter eligible to
win the strap Saturday night at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut.
From the start it was clear Benavidez had no intention of watching Angulo leave with what just over 24 hours prior had been his belt, setting the tone with a commanding jab that set up a variety of power shots throughout the fight that kept the tough Angulo at bay. Perhaps all of the comments Benavidez had heard were playing out in his head and Angulo got the honor of being on the receiving end of his frustration.
The execution and work rate from Benavidez continued round after round as he landed 290 shots out of 703 thrown, steadily breaking down the 36 year old from Colombia who could only manage to connect on 51 of 400 punches in the fight. By the tenth round, Angulo’s corner had seen enough and threw in the towel.
The performance was sharp, but nothing that the 23 year old Benavidez (23-0-0, 20KO) (whose ring moniker “Red Flag” has a ring of irony to it this weekend), did against Angulo comes as a surprise to anyone. The talent and potential he carried will never be in question, but after a drug suspension and title stripping due to weight issues, the focus of the Phoenix, Arizona native will be his lingering criticism until he consistently shows it’s no longer an issue.