By Chris Robinson
On September 17th, one of the biggest fights of the year will go down when undefeated superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr. faces off with WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz inside of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Lost in the fight’s excitement has been the fact that another one of boxing’s rising stars will be stepping back into the ring a few hundred miles away in Parker, Arizona when Jose Benavidez Jr. steps back into the ring.
At 19 years of age, Benavidez has been making waves in the sport ever since his professional debut inside of the nearby Hard Rock Hotel in January of last year. He gained more notoriety throughout 2010 after training at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym and after a brief stint back home he is again putting in work inside of the famed facility in Los Angeles as his bout nears.
Benavidez has many intangibles that you could ask for in a young fighter, including a viscous body attack, power with each hand, and a certain poise that beguiles his youth. In an exclusive interview with BoxingWar, the junior welterweight prospect recently shared his thoughts on yet another Phoenix showcase, his return to the Wild Card gym, the fighters he looks up to most, and why he isn’t rushing to call out any big names just yet.
Read below for all of Jose’s thoughts…
Returning to the Wild Card…
“We went back home for a year and a half. We came back here. We missed the sparring; we have a lot of good sparring here. Working with a lot of up and coming prospects. I feel good, I feel stronger, and I am ready to go for my next fight.”
Daily routine…
“We’ve been training hard. We wake up at four in the morning and run about five, six miles. Take a little break, come to the gym, and work out. After that, take another break, then go to L.A. Fitness. It’s the same thing, just harder training. Putting more effort into it. I never thought I was going to be a main event, especially at home. “
Coming home…
“It was a great experience. I had a lot of my fans and a lot of my family that went down there and saw the fight. It was a great show, there were a lot of good fights. I felt happy and I just felt good inside.”
Chasing the dream…
“Ever since I was a little kid I dreamed of turning pro. I turned pro and it’s my second year and it’s been good so far. Hopefully one day I’ll be a world champion like Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather, and all those great fighters. That’s what I’m aiming for and hopefully it comes true.”
Feeling the support…
“I got my inspiration from my Dad, my family, and just everyone around me that’s supporting me. Since I was six years old I’ve been dreaming of being a world champion. And I won’t stop until I get there. I’m going to keep training hard for that day.”
Giving back to those in need…
“My team, me and my Dad, we talked about that. I just like giving back to the less fortunate. We did a toy drive, we did a blanket drive. Just for people who are less fortunate. Right now I’m not making that much money but I try to give the little that I can, just to see a smile on a child’s face. Someone that’s less fortunate. Hopefully one day I do make a lot of money and just give a lot.”
The main goal…
“Boxing’s a hard sport. Ever since I was little I had to wake up at four in the morning, train, just dedicate myself and put my time into it. There is a time and place for everything and right now my time is to train hard. Right now my main goal is training, fighting.”
The key to everything…
“I like to be more of a counter-puncher. I like using my jab a lot. The jab is the key to everything, so what they tell me to do is work a lot on my jab and a lot of boxers nowadays don’t really throw body shots. I love throwing body shots. When you get hit by one of those, it’s lethal. It hurts and you lose your breath. Jabs and body shots, those are my favorite shots. Also we work on right hands. You never stop learning, you learn new things every day.”
No name-calling…
“Right now I’m just training hard. There’s not really anyone I’m trying to call out right now or anything. I’ll let my promoters do what they have to do. I’ll pick whatever fighter I have to. I’m going to just keep training hard and putting my 100% into it.”
