We Want Canelo-Benevidez Next No Ands, Ifs, Or Buts..

@drenlou Unfortunately for you, this fight will be effectively off the table after he loses to Gvozdyk. Do the math here, Gvozdyk is good friends with and a sparring partner of Canelo. Benavidez is being fed to him by PBC in his debut at Light Heavyweight, as a sacrificial lamb. Gvozdyk took out Bolotniks when he wanted to with extreme malice, after getting a few rounds in. This is the same Bolotniks who gave Buatsi fits, one of the top prospects in the division, and almost went the distance not long before. SO for people hoping The Nail is shot, he isn't... clearly. Gvozdyk's style is and will always be a nightmare for Benavidez, who is not hard to hit at all, he won't be able to miss with that lethal straight right, which will wreak absolute havoc. Gvozdyk stood up to 10 rounds of non stop punishment from Beterbiev, Benavidez will not pack that kind of punch at 175. Hell it took him six rounds to take out a glass jawed middleweight in Andrade, and he couldn't stop Caleb Plant, who was the last man that Canelo stopped. If The Nail doesn't fear his power, this will be a short night, because when he goes for the kill, like he did with Adonis and Bolotniks, obliterati awaits. This isn't a match, this is an orchestrated hit job by Canelo and his crew.

 

Bivol had him stunned several times, Morrell hits harder and is physically bigger than Bivol. Then add in the southpaw wrinkle. Suggesting that Morrell could KO an aging Canelo isn't even slightly egregious. While maybe not as exceptional as GGG or Bivol, he and Benavidez are both massive, and use their size to their advantage quite well. There comes a time when some opponents are just too damned big. Granted, stylistically I'd still give the edge to Canelo against Benavidez.

This is a thinnest of thin argument that's been made countless times before, only to blow up in the arguer's faces repeatedly. How many times have upsets occurred, when there's a perception that someone is done an only showing up for a paycheck, or that they're done at the top level? Gvozdyk is a very prideful man, so much so, he retired from the sport after his last loss, a loss that he gave his all trying to win, against a P4P talent and beast who was rabbit punching the ever loving **** out of him to the point where he had a bruised brain. He's not coming out of retirement for a paycheck, and he certainly isn't taking on a future Canelo opponent with the intentions of giving him an argument to be the next to face the Ginger One. Make no mistake, he's coming to remove this obstacle from Canelo's path. They, whoever this they is, can feed all they want, it doesn't mean the perceived food will comply.

 

Yes, I was pissed at the stoppage, one that was brought about by seemingly hundreds of rabbit punches. Rabbit punches that the referee never once warned Beterbiev for. Rabbit punches that Beterbiev has won with in almost every fight since. Intentional rabbit punches that are clearly part of his winning strategy, that one has to be in a complete state of denial to not see and acknowledge anymore. Now, what does my being angry at the outcome of a match have to do with my ability to read matches involving said fighter? I picked Gvozdyk to win, and while he didn't... he still gave Beterbiev the toughest fight of his career in losing, and came damned close to going the distance. As far as my scorecard for the fight, yes and? Most people had the match scored one of two ways heading into the 10th. Either 86-85 Beterbiev or 86-85 Gvozdyk. I had it 86-85 Gvozdyk, as did the other best scorer on this site @IntentionalButt so I see no issue with that whatsoever. No one should have a problem acknowledging that the fight was razor close at that point.

Now, because I was salty about a loss, are you implying that Benavidez is somehow on Beterbiev's level? The same Benavidez that went the distance with Gavril twice, getting dropped once in the process, who then went the distance with Plant and almost went the distance with Roamer Angulo and Ronald Ellis? After teeing off on all 4 of them relentlessly? Who's been mostly feasting on blow up Middleweights in 3 of his last four matches, when he's a boiled down Light Heavyweight? With all due respect, without even a hint of hyperbole, both Beterbiev and Gvozdyk would probably literally kill a fairly large number of Benavidez's last 8 opponents. This isn't just a step up in class, it's a step up in weight and a step up in class, to face the former lineal Light Heavyweight champion, who's a P4P stylistic nightmare for almost everyone who sets foot in the ring with him. It's an insult that Benavidez is even being considered the favorite here. It's the equivalent of Fundora being seen as a favorite over current Golovkin. So I must take anyone who writes off a full fledged massive LHW with a murderous right hand and a sturdy beard like Gvozdyk's chances, opinion with a grain of salt.

 

I'm banking on my instincts being right here, Bolotniks is a tough out for anybody, the ease with which Gvozdyk dealt with him when he decided to turn it on, was actually kind of frightening. Benavidez will not give him an choice but to sit down on his shots early, possibly to David's detriment.