David Benavidez has no shortage of HUGE fights on his radar. In an exclusive interview with BoxingScene, Jose Benavidez Sr. makes it clear that David still wants the biggest names at 175lbs including Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev. Benavidez has previously said those are two fights he wants to make as he pursues more titles and major challenges. But there’s another name that could make things very interesting: Andy Ruiz Jr. Jose discusses the possibility of an all-Mexican showdown between Benavidez and the former heavyweight champion, along with David’s plans across multiple divisions. And with a potential Jai Opetaia showdown also building after the pair came face-to-face following Opetaia’s latest victory, Benavidez has some massive options ahead.
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by Ronnie Nathanielsz
WBO/WBA flyweight champion Brian Viloria predicts a tough fight when he defends his title against Mexican challenger Juan Francisco Estrada at the Venetian in Macau on April 6 in a blockbuster Top Rank card which would also see the pro debut of two-time Olympic gold medallist and three-time world amateur champion Zou Shiming of China.
Viloria told BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard that he expects the clash with Estrada to be “a tough fight and a toe to toe battle” stating that the Mexican is a fighter.
The two division world champion said he has been working hard at the Wild Card Gym and plans to “just bring it to him (Estrada).”
Viloria told us “everything is going great and I’m getting myself ready. I have no problems with the weight for the fight which is a month from now.”
Viloria said he is “training mainly with Marvin Somodio and Freddie (Roach) comes in once in a while as an adviser.”
He has been sparring with Zou Shiming and a solid bantamweight named Ricardo whose family name Viloria couldn’t recall. He said Zou “is fast but still has amateur style, not much of a pro style and Freddie (Roach) is trying to break him out of that style which is a hit and run type of style.”
While stating that he’s fought “in all kinds of different places, its always just really in that ring” although he did indicate he had heard that the Venetian in Macao “is a great place to fight in.”
Viloria isn’t a fighter who likes to look beyond his next fight but said “after I will we’ll look ahead for bigger fights.”
Asked whether he would be in Manila to receive awards at the Annual “Flash” Elorde Awards “Banquet of Champions” and the Philippine Sportswriters Annual Awards, Viloria replied “I don’t want to travel all over the place. I wish to concentrate on the fight, focus this next fight. HBO picked it up so that’s huge . I don’t want to travel more than we have to.”
