WHILE David Benavidez, quite rightly, stole the headlines following his tremendous victory over David Morrell, there were in fact several more talking points that emerged from Saturday’s card.
With that in mind, Boxing News has taken a deeper dive into everything that unfolded at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas.
Isaac Cruz never fails to deliver fireworks
Before his all-Mexican clash with Angel Fierro, Isaac Cruz was widely regarded as one of the most exciting operators in boxing.
That, of course, is now an indisputable fact following his unanimous decision victory where, before hearing the final bell, the 26-year-old’s tenacity was well and truly put to the test.
But despite producing a promising surge in the second half of their enthralling 10-round battle, Fierro was ultimately forced to suffer his third professional defeat, while Cruz, 27-3-1 (18 KOs), looks set to keep delivering fan-friendly spectacles.
Boxers are allowed to wear Timberland boots
Other than Stephen Fulton claiming his second victory over Brandon Figueroa, there was very little to write home about when it came to Saturday’s co-main event.
The fight itself, after all, was one that fans will most likely forget about, with Figueroa showing no sense of urgency to disrupt his opponent’s movement.
In fact, the most interesting discussion point was that Fulton, 23-1 (8 KOs), came to the ring wearing ripped jeans and Timberlands.
Amanda Serrano is another fighter who, instead of wearing the traditional boxing boots, has previously been known to don a flashy pair of Jordans.
Either way, it would appear that the Nevada State Athletic Commission had no objection to Fulton’s bizarre choice of footwear.
Stephen Fulton vs Nick Ball is the fight to make
While Figueroa was not at the races, Fulton nonetheless did what he needed to do, utilising his sharp counterpunching on the backfoot to outpoint his more static opponent.
In doing so, the 30-year-old has now become a two-division world champion, putting himself in the mix to enter a unification at 126lbs.
Of the three remaining champions, though, a clash with WBA titlist Nick Ball is perhaps the best style matchup from a fans’ perspective, representing a classic bull vs matador showdown.
David Benavidez is more than just a puncher
Benavidez’s last two performances, in particular, have showcased that, unlike other power punchers in boxing, he possesses a versatile skillset that can seemingly be adapted to any style of fight.
Against both Oleksandr Gvozdyk and now Morrell, the 28-year-old did not just focus on producing an emphatic finish but instead utilised his footwork to create angles.
A tight defence, too, contributed to what was a comprehensive display from Benavidez, 30-0 (24 KOs), who has now firmly established himself as a formidable contender at 175lbs.
David Benavidez could become undisputed at light-heavyweight
The obvious next step for Benavidez is to take on the winner of Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol’s fiercely anticipated rematch, which will be staged in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 22.
Sure enough, Beterbiev and Bivol showed in their captivating encounter last October that either one of them is deserving of the undisputed light-heavyweight crown.
At the same time, though, when considering Benavidez’s improvements over recent years, it must be said that the American would, at the very least, be highly competitive against both combatants.
