Benevidez has a good solid skillset for sure. I don't see Bivol struggling at all with him and Beterbiev would batter him, but at 168 I don't see him losing. Canelo isn't fighting him unfortunately. What a shame. I don't see Benevidez KO'ing Canelo but besting him yes.
So this answers the question of why he kills himself to make 168, he doesn't have the pop to do much at 175? And just a few days ago I watched him talk about going all the way to heavyweight lol.
He's not a light heavy that was obvious at the weigh in as Gvozdyk looked far bigger. DB will need to actually get a strength and conditioning coach to add some muscle to his lanky frame if he's ever to campaign seriously at 175, like Hopkins did when he moved up. At least this might put an end to the weight bully accusations, he's a natural 168 fighter and should stay there. He did better than expected for me and went up in my estimation, even against this faded Gvozdyk. He showed far more defensive skills than before with the head movement and keeping off the line. He'll need that if Canelo ever decides to man up and face him.
You may have a point there. Still don't like the idea of weight bullies, if you can legitimately make the weight then I don't see a problem.
Weight bullies exist. The concept is they go to extreme lengths to squeeze into a division so they fight smaller people as much as possible. That's where the bully label comes from. The fact they can make the weight doesn't change what they're doing. The rules are stupid and making a weight isn't the same as being the same natural size which is why the weight classes were made, to have people fight people their OWN size. The classes weren't made so people could have a competition to see who can cut the most weight. Within a division there is a spectrum of cutting from people who barely cut to those who are extreme cutters. The size difference is massive between these poles and makes for comical matchups at times. These characters who kill themselves to cut massively are terrified of fighting people their own size. And it's often exposed when they can't do this cut anymore and have to go up. Suddenly they aren't the force they were. Hence their whole strategy is based on bullying smaller fighters.
I don't either but I'm not to fond of the idea of a guy hitting the ring 2 weight classes heavier than their opponent after the weigh in regardless of who does it. I think the guys that benefit from the tactic are the guys that have the size but not the power for their natural weight, or the power but not the size if that makes any sense. Straddling the weight lines is much easier because we have more classes than years past and is I guess a way to find success out of a fighter that may not have been able to get it otherwise.
That’s what happens when you finally fight someone the same size as you. Gvozdyk being 37 years old and inactive was enough to secure the win.