David Benavidez impressive in TKO of David Lemieux, takes WBC interim boxing title
GLENDALE — David Benavidez returned to his hometown and took care of company immediately, the two time former tremendous middleweight champion flooring major contender David Lemieux twice in the initially two rounds to seize the interim WBC planet tremendous middleweight championship Saturday night on Showtime from Gila River Arena.
Benavidez, now dependent out of Seattle, is nevertheless beloved in greater Phoenix, the place he was born and raised, and the 25-12 months-outdated star gave his followers the demonstrate they needed to see. He wobbled Lemieux, a former middleweight winner himself, with a still left hook in the very first spherical. Then he unleased a flurry of punches with Lemieux ducking for cover, saved only by the end of the to start with round bell.
In the next spherical, Benavidez despatched Lemieux by way of the ropes with an additional still left, and the group roared, owning by now risen to its feet anticipating an fascinating end. Lemieux’s corner known as for a battle stoppage that arrived at 1 minute, 31 seconds of the 3rd round.
“What truly helps make me happy and motivates me a great deal is I can bring 10,000 people into this stadium and they all arrived to see me,” Benavidez explained. “They all still left fired up and satisfied. I am equipped to give the enthusiasts the fights they want to see and the action that they want to see.”
Benavidez enhanced to 26- with 23 knockouts, and it appears only a subject of time just before an even even bigger fight comes his way. Lemieux is 43-5.
Nicknamed “El Bandera Roja,” his father José coined a further nickname for Benavidez — The Mexican Monster. Promoter Sampson Lewkowicz said Benavidez, who grew to become just the fourth gentleman in tremendous middleweight record to turn into a a few-time world champion, has a few choices for his future battle in November.
They are David Morrell, Caleb Plant or Jermell Charlo, all prime contenders in the division. A battle with Canelo Alvarez, who vacated the title, is not heading to take place for the foreseeable future, Lewkowicz said.
“I am waiting for all people top rated fellas to send me the contract. They know what’s up. I”m correct right here waiting for them. I’ll place myself up towards all people. I warranty I’m knocking everybody out,” Benavidez reported.
“Just after the first spherical I was Ok, he had gotten me with some good pictures” Lemieux mentioned. “I experimented with to appear back again, but he’s a really superior fighter.”
The main Showtime broadcast card began with a featherweight slugfest amongst Luis Nuñez of the Dominican Republic and Jonathan Fierro of Mexico, with Nuñez providing most of the ability punches. 1 system shot lifted Fierro off the ring canvas.
But the beforehand 13- Fierro, only 18 yrs aged, returned fire and took some major pictures, long lasting all 10 rounds. He just could not match Nuñez’s hand velocity and power persistently, and Nuñez (17-) gained the battle on a unanimous final decision though all scorecards had been close.
The co-key occasion between tremendous welterweights Yoelvis Gomez of Cuba and Jorge Cota of Mexico highlighted the knockout electricity of the 24-year-outdated Gomez and the practical experience of the 34-year-outdated Cota, who’d fought some significant names in his division.
The very first round finished with both fighters even now throwing punches immediately after the bell. In the third round, Gomez rocked Cota, then tossed Cota to the ring flooring, prompting a warning and derisive chants from the crowd.
It was clear Gomez was the more physically sturdy fighter, forcing Cota into the corners and ropes many situations. As the third round finished, Cota accidentally punched the referee in the experience hoping to get Gomez off of him.
In the seventh spherical, Cota, properly powering on the scorecards, beckoned Gomez to arrive and fight him in one corner. Gomez smiled and laughed in the ring numerous times, apparently self-assured in his manage of the bout.
Gomez staggered an exhausted and battered Cota (30-6) just one extra time with a appropriate hand in the 10th and final spherical, and arrived absent with a unanimous final decision to make improvements to to 6- as a expert. All scorecards had him winning 100-90.
The night was also highlighted by a battle that includes previous WBC welterweight winner “Vicious” Victor Ortiz, now 35 and hoping to continue his comeback. Ortiz hasn’t quite been the exact fighter he was because the notorious “Guard yourself at all situations” incident with Floyd Mayweather Jr., in which he was knocked out by the longtime champion right after trying to embrace Mayweather and dropping his fingers at one particular issue in the 2017 fight.
But Ortiz did most of the problems in opposition to journeyman Todd Manuel, despite getting knocked down with a several seconds still left in the 10th and ultimate round. Nonetheless he gained a unanimous choice to make improvements to to 33-7-3.
“This time I was in shape. I have cobwebs to shake off,” Ortiz claimed. “We’re at about 80, 75-ish percent. If you really don’t to have a swollen d
eal with or a busted lip or one thing, go participate in basketball or some soccer.”
The very first four fights of the night have been in excess of in about 40 minutes mixed, together with Mesa’s Micky Scala earning quick operate of Mike Plazola in a tremendous welterweight bout. The contest lasted just about 90 seconds with Scala scoring the three knockdowns he necessary for a stoppage of the fight.
“I needed to go to the overall body early,” Scala said. “I caught him with a fantastic proper hand to the body and sat him down. I remained sensible and acquired him out of there.”
Middleweight Elijah Garcia, who lives in Avondale, scored with hooks and jabs to the head of opponent Rowdy Montgomery, and in the 3rd round connected with a tricky shot that despatched Montgomery to a knee. Moments afterwards, Garcia acquired his opponent on the ropes and scored a second knockdown.
Garcia, displaying some vicious punching power, took a shot just just before the stop of the round, but it didn’t appear to be to faze him much. Absolutely ready to stand in and trade blows from in close, Garcia took much more shots to his confront in the sixth round as each fighters looked fatigued in the ultimate round, but Garcia experienced ample points from the a few judges for a unanimous decision victory.
“Great issue for me. Probably we go eight (rounds) next time,” Garcia stated.
Garcia mentioned it will be his final time preventing at middleweight as he seems to shift up a excess weight course. He programs to struggle once more in June or July.
Jesús Abel Ibarra, who trains in Mesa with Scala, scored a first-spherical TKO of Ernesto Guerrero of Mexico and enhanced to 14- with seven knockouts. The tremendous featherweight is wanting to indication with a marketing, as is Garcia.
“We’re all set to take that following phase and get started getting some rankings and stuff. That is the program. Just received to educate challenging and have confidence in in God,” Ibarra explained.
Get in touch with Jose Romero at [email protected]. Find him on Twitter at @RomeroJoseM.
This short article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: David Benavidez wins interim WBC title with TKO of David Lemieux