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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Fast-rising prospect Elijah Garcia is ready to continue a resounding 2023 campaign when he fights Armando Reséndiz to kick off the Canelo Alvarez vs. Jermell Charlo pay per view card Saturday night on Showtime.
Garcia (15-0, 12 KOs) will be matched tough yet again in the 10-round middleweight matchup against the equally-ascending Reséndiz (14-1, 10 KOs), a 24-year-old who is coming off a stoppage win against former super welterweight unified champion Jarret Hurd.
“Fight night is going to be a real tough fight,” Garcia told BoxingScene.com in an interview. “[Reséndiz] comes to fight and bang. I expect nothing but a high-action fight. I'm a banger as well. The winner gets to take it to the next level. I'm prepared. I like to keep my distance, break them down. I'm a pressure fighter and I like to bang in the inside.”
Garcia is a contender already ranked in the top 15 (WBC #6, IBF #7, WBA #8, and WBO #13) by the four major sanctioning bodies at 160 pounds and he says that he’s ready for a world title run in 2024.
Should he beat Reséndiz, an unofficial title that the 21-year-old Garcia will likely be shortlisted for once the calendar year comes to a close is prospect of the year.
The Arizona-based, 6-foot tall southpaw Garcia has already beaten Amilcar Vidal Jr. and Kevin Salgado this year. At the time, the pair of fighters brought a combined record of 31-1-1 into the ring.
During his grand arrival ceremony Tuesday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Garcia admitted that he had a "pretty rough performance" against Salgado and that he was "trying to make up for it in this fight.”
“I'm taking it one step at a time. Taking fights like this against Reséndiz is going to take me to the next level and get that experience when the time comes to fight for that belt … Hard work pays off. I'm blessed.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer, and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.
