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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CLEVELAND, Ohio – Tempers flared during Thursday’s official weigh-in as main event fighters Angelo “La Cobra” Santana and Hammerin’ Hank Lundy and their camps had to be separated after stepping on the scales for tomorrow/Friday’s ShoBox: The New Generation doubleheader live on SHOWTIME (10:45 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).
Santana, 134 pounds, and Lundy, 135 pounds, were posing for a photo with legendary promoter Don King and former heavyweight world champion Larry Holmes when a brief scuffle broke out between the fighters and their camps. King, Holmes and others were quick to separate the camps and restore order to the proceedings.
The heavy-handed Santana (14-1, 11 KOs), of Miami, Fla., and dangerous, world-ranked Lundy (23-3-1, 11 KOs), of Philadelphia, will square off in an important 10-round lightweight bout from the Wolstein Center at Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio.
In the opening match of the ShoBox telecast, undefeated Amir “Young Master” Imam (12-0, 11 KOs), of Albany, N.Y., will face fellow unbeaten Jared “The Quiet Storm” Robinson (14-0, 6 KOs), of Charlotte, N.C., in a 10-round super lightweight match. Imam tipped the scales at 140 pounds and Robinson measured 139½ pounds during Thursday’s weigh-in.
Tickets to the event – priced at $35, $75, and $125 plus tax and fees – are on sale and can be purchased through the Wolstein Center box office and website www.wolsteincenter.com or by calling Charge-by-Phone 1-877-468-4946. Doors open at 7 p.m., and a full undercard will be presented prior to the televised matches.
Below is what the fighters had to say prior to Thursday’s weigh-in:
SANTANA
“Everything is going according to plan for this fight. It’s been about six months of preparation. The errors I made in my last fight have been fixed. That won’t happen again. I have an opportunity in this fight to erase it all tomorrow night.
“He’s fought a lot of talented fighters but that doesn’t mean I don’t have the talent to fight him and beat him. He hasn’t fought me yet so his wins don’t mean anything.
“I’m prepared for the full 10 rounds. It’s always great to get the KO, and we’ll definitely look for it, but I also like to box. I’m not just a knockout puncher.
“It’s a great opportunity that SHOWTIME is giving me. I’ve prepared for everything so there will be no surprises. The only surprise will be for my opponent.”
LUNDY
“At the end of the day, we all know that I’ve faced the tougher fighters. We all know I have the better record. But it’s that man in me and not my record that you have to beat.
“When I fought Ajose (Olusegun) everybody said he would destroy me. When you doubt the hammer the hammer is always going to come up big.
“You have to respect the man for getting in there. But this man is not even in my class. You have to crawl before you walk and this guy is trying to walk before he crawls.
“I’m top 10 in the world. This guy doesn’t have anything on me.”
IMAM
“Fighting on national television makes me step it up a notch. You have to because everyone is watching.
“Yeah, I have a lot of knockouts on my record, but I’m just looking for a win. If the knockout comes, it comes.
“He hasn’t faced what I’ve faced, sparred what I’ve sparred. He simply doesn’t have the experience that I have. But it doesn’t matter who he’s faced because he hasn’t faced me.
“He’s going to learn from the master on Friday. The fans love me. I’m going to put on a show.
“It makes it sweeter if I get the KO. Everybody says I don’t go deep into fights and don’t get rounds, but it’s not my fault I’m better than them.”
ROBINSON
“We’re not even if you look at our records. If you go a little deeper, his record is not as impressive at face value.
“I’m going to use my speed and boxing skills to take his power away from him. His power won’t be a factor in this fight.
“I’ve faced the better opposition than him. And fighting on ShoBox gives me that extra motivation to overcome anything he throws at me.
“The sky is the limit for me. But I need a win first and I’ll take it from there.”
