It may take 2 rounds. It may take 3 rounds. It could take five. David “El Monstru” Benavidez will solve that for you. Against the skilled southpaw Demetrius Andrade, the 26-year-old former two-time WBC super middleweight champion was patient and knew when to step on the gas.
On Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, in what could be Benavidez’s most memorable performance before the 9,585 fight, referee Thomas Taylor called the sixth at the request of Andrade’s corner. The fight was stopped at the end of the round.
Benavidez (28-0, 24 KOs), rated as the No. 1 super middleweight in the ring, immediately called out undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez.
“I think I just solidified myself as a dominant force here,” Benavidez said. “I just wanted to remind everyone who the real champion is at 168. Does anyone want to see me fight Canelo? I’m going to be a super middleweight world champion, a three-time world champion. Go ahead and show us the fight we all want to see. Who wants to see Benavidez vs. Canelo?”
Andrade (32-1, 19 KOs) closed out the first round with a combination to the body and head. Andrade did a great job of rotating and moving Benavidez. Andrade continued to land jabs from a southpaw stance. Then, with 1 minute and 30 seconds left in the second, Andrade unleashed a quick combination against Benavidez, who was covered up. With 32 seconds left in the second, Andrade hit Benavidez with a straight left to the face.
When the final bell rang for the second game, it was clear that Andrade was leading 2-0.
With 1:52 left in the third, Andrade, who was thought to be the more technical fighter, tied the larger, younger Benavidez to the ropes and hit Benavidez with a short inside shot.
A minute later things changed. Benavidez understood Andrade. He found range with a right to his face with 51 seconds left in the round.
With three seconds left in the fourth, Benavidez deflected a hard right that hit Andrade in the temple, knocking him down for the third time in his career.
When asked how he was able to stop Andrade, Benavidez said: “It’s because of the hard work and dedication that I put in. Everyone says I’m not this, I’m not that, I’m flat-footed and I don’t have defense.” This guy probably applied one of the best defenses. He’s really good offensively. He could barely even hit me, so I think that in itself says a lot.
“I think the first shot I got him was when I dipped his left hand and came back with my right hand. And that was the point. And I knew he wasn’t going to keep.” I knew I had to keep the pressure on him because he was taking those shots. Give people what they want to see. They want to see Benavidez vs. Canelo. ”
The opening seconds of the fifth meant more punishment for Andrade. In just his second fight at 168 pounds, Andrade held off the powerful Benavidez. With 1 minute and 36 seconds left, Benavidez delivered a missile-like right uppercut that snapped Andrade’s head back.
With 30 seconds left in the round, Andrade staggered and was in serious trouble, taking big shots to the head and chin, and an uppercut that seemed to pull his chin in.
Monsters are scary 😤
Andrade’s corner stops the fight between rounds. @benavidez300 Stay perfect ⭐#BenavidezAndrade pic.com/wGtIWWT6Ql
— Showtime Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) November 26, 2023
Andrade staggered back to his corner, looking drunk.
Before the sixth, Taylor told Andrade, “You better show me something.”
At 1:24, Taylor asked Andrade again to “show me something.” With 50 seconds left in the sixth, Andrade knocked Benavidez unconscious with his right uppercut.
It didn’t last long.
Benavidez fought back with a left hook, a right uppercut, and a straight right that put Andrade in trouble again.
Between the sixth and seventh rounds, Taylor said in Andrade’s corner, “You’ll never see rounds like that again.”
After a few seconds, the fight stopped.
“We’re back, we’re back to square one,” Andrade said. “I’ve moved up in weight class. I’m going to get a little more fit and get right back in. Overall, I thought I did everything I needed to do to separate the big guy from me.
“David is definitely a great fighter. No one even wanted to get in the ring with him. He was going to be a three-division world champion. That’s not far-fetched. David was the star tonight. Congratulations to him and his family. We continue to move forward.
“Benavidez is a bigger guy. I wouldn’t say he’s a more skilled guy, but he’s a bigger guy. He tried a new weight class. Congratulations to him and we’ll be back. Back to square one. , I have to train my body a little more. Then I’ll be right back.”
Joseph Santorikito is a Hall of Fame and award-winning sportswriter who has worked at Ring Magazine/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the President of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
Follow @JSantoliquito
