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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Keyshawn Davis once represented the United States’ best shot at an Olympic Gold medal.
The unbeaten lightweight prospect has instead chosen to carve out a path as the game’s best prospect.
Davis had a chance to show off his supreme skillset, dominating Ghana’s Richman Ashelley en route to a 4th round stoppage win. No official knockdowns were scored in the one-sided affair, which forced Ashelley’s corner to call for a stoppage after round four in their preliminary bout Saturday at Caesars Palace Bluewaters in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Davis turned pro earlier this year, abandoning his dream to represent the United States in the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics later this summer. The 22-year-old from Norfolk, Virginia showed his poise, fighting behind a stiff jab and working the body out of a conventional stance. Ashelley spent most of the frame fighting behind a tight guard, offering an occasional counter attempt which often caught nothing but air.
A subtle defensive adjustment allowed Davis to open up his attack in round two. Ashelley missed wildly with a right hand, with Davis moving in and connecting with straight jabs and right hands downstairs. A left hook to the body by Davis had Ashelley hurt in the final minute, as did a pair of right hooks to the midsection just before round’s close.
Ashelley grew increasingly frustrated with the referee in round three, pointing out that Davis was using an extended left to hold his head in pinning him in place. The protest fell on deaf ears, as Davis connected with a clean right hand to the temple which left Ashelley briefly dazed.
Davis nearly had Ashelley (10-2, 9KOs) out in round four, connecting with several right hands and left hooks. Ashelley wobbled into the ropes but managed to remain on his feet until the final bell. His body language was enough for his corner to ask for a stoppage in between rounds.
The win comes just five weeks after Davis (2-0, 2KOs) made his pro debut on the undercard of Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez’s latest title defense this past February in Miami. Saturday’s performance further establishes his presence as must-see TV.
“I was hoping for one more round, I was going to knock him out,” Davis insisted after his performance. “But, as you saw I made him quit.”
Tursynbay Kulakhmet continues his impressive assault in the early stages of his career.
The first-year pro from Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan knocked out Venezuela’s Heber Rondon in the first round of their regional junior middleweight title fight. Kulakhmet floored Rondon twice, the latter of which prompted an immediate stoppage at 1:14 of round one.
Kulakhmet has been matched aggressively since his pro debut last August. His first three opponents to date have boasted a combined record of 40-1-1 at the time of their fight, having yet to lose a round along the way.
Rondon (20-1, 13KOs) never had a chance to test the mettle of the former amateur standout, forced in retreat mode from the opening bell and for good reason. Kulakhmet immediately went on the attack out of his southpaw stance, cornering Rondon and connecting with two right hooks and a cleanup left hand as his foe was already on his way down.
The sequence appeared to be enough to end the fight as Rondon was slow to rise to his feet. Kulakhmet didn’t waste any time in closing the show, connecting with a right hook in the center of the ring, with Rondon immediately collapsing to the canvas. The fight was waved off without a count.
Kulakhmet storms to 3-0 (2KOs) with the win, coming less than five months after soundly outpointing Macauley McGowan over ten rounds in their regional title fight last November.
An ambitious push is expected through 2021, providing that proper opposition can be secured. Kalukhmet’s management suggested after the bout that “nobody wants to fight him. We want to fight everyone, we will see who answers the challenge.”
Local junior lightweight Fahad Al Bloushi (4-1, 1KOs) picked up his third consecutive win following a four-round unanimous decision win over India’s Suraj. Scores were in favor of Al Bloushi, who withstood a few solid right hands from Suraj (2-2, 1KO) to prevail in their entertaining preliminary contest. Al Bloushi’s lone defeat came in his only fight outside of Dubai, as he was outpointed by Giorgi Gochoshvili in an upset on the road in Kazakhstan.
All three bouts aired live on ESPN+. Headlining the show, Jamel Herring (22-2, 10KOs) attempts the third defense of his WBO junior lightweight title versus former two-division champion Carl Frampton (28-2, 16KOs).
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
