Oscar De La Hoya has questioned the punch resistance of David Benavidez ahead of his world cruiserweight title challenge against Gilberto Ramirez.
The pair will square off at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena this Saturday, with Benavidez jumping up from 175lbs in an attempt to claim Ramirez’s WBO and WBA belts.
Victory would see him become a three-division world champion, while retaining the WBC light-heavyweight title he successfully defended via a seventh-round finish over Anthony Yarde in November.
It remains to be seen, however, whether ‘The Mexican Monster’ possesses the physical attributes to compete with a world-class operator such as Ramirez at 200lbs.
Like Benavidez, ‘Zurdo’ claimed and made multiple defences of his first world title at 168lbs, before becoming a fully-fledged cruiserweight.
The 34-year-old has made his mark on the division by dethroning Arsen Goulamirian and Chris Billam-Smith in 2024, outpointing both of them by unanimous decision.
Ramirez then defended his unified crown against seasoned veteran Yuniel Dorticos last June, again securing a unanimous verdict, but is widely considered to be an underdog against Benavidez.
While boasting a significant speed advantage, many are also expecting the 29-year-old to bring his power and ring IQ up from 175lbs.
Golden Boy boss De La Hoya, meanwhile, has told Fight Hub TV that Ramirez, who he promotes, should only be one punch away from stopping his American opponent.
“Benavidez throws a lot of punches. [But] he doesn’t throw everything with power, and he doesn’t really have a good chin.
“‘Zurdo’, on the other hand, takes his time, is very calculated… but every punch he throws, it’s hard; it’s got bad intentions.
“All it takes is one exchange, when Benavidez is throwing punches in bunches. All it takes is one [hard punch from Ramirez].”
Unlike Ramirez, who is yet to be dropped as a professional, Benavidez has previously been floored by David Morrell and Ronald Gavril, albeit in fights he ultimately won on points.
