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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Roger Gutierrez found a different way to trump his old ring rival.
A disciplined performance by the streaking junior lightweight from Venezuela was enough to conquer Nicaragua’s Rene Alvarado, taking a twelve-round unanimous decision in their rubber match Saturday evening on DAZN from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Judges Robert Torres (115-113), Sergio Caiz (116-112) and Javier Alvarez (116-112) were all in agreement in awarding the fight to Gutierrez, who defended a secondary version of the WBA 130-pound title while going up 2-1 in his three-fight series with Alvarado.
The trilogy match sorely lacked the drama and sustained action of their thrilling rematch six months ago at nearby American Airlines Center in Dallas. Gutierrez rode three knockdowns all the way to the finish line, including one in the twelfth and final round to provide the margin of victory on all three scorecards. It resulted in a secondary title changing hands, along with Gutierrez avenging a seventh-round cuts stoppage loss to Alvarado in July 2017.
The opening round of the rubber match saw a similar start to its predecessor six months prior. Gutierrez fought largely behind his jab, occasionally following with a straight right hand. Alvarado looked to force the action, though unable to effectively cut off the ring as Gutierrez would either step back or tie up and clinch whenever the fight was spent at close range.
Alvarado eased up on the pressure in round two, an adjustment from the first two fights as he looked to work his own jab. Gutierrez was fine with taking a defensive approach, often avoiding the incoming though with Alvarado getting the better of the few exchanges that took place between the two.
Both boxers were warned for holding and head clashes in round three, with referee Luis Pabon tasked with more work than expected by the ring’s sole arbiter.
Gutierrez enjoyed his first convincing round of the fight in the fourth, connecting at close quarters as Alvarado looked to work his way inside. The power surge carried over into round five, with Gutierrez taking the lead during several exchanges. Alvarado looked to swing momentum back in his favor, only to eat a left hook and several right hands for his trouble.
Round six was the best of the fight to that point for Alvarado, who rediscovered his offensive swagger. The normally aggressive Nicaraguan saw his patience tested before finding an opening, a left hook that caught the attention of Gutierrez. Alvarado continued on the attack, avoiding clinches on the inside by being first to the punch and forcing Gutierrez to adjust.
The second half of the fight saw Gutierrez return to his jab, using it to set up long right hands. Alvarado was still effective at cutting off the ring, sticking his jab in Gutierrez’s face though his defense not quite as tight as was the case in the earlier rounds.
Gutierrez connected with an overhand right early in round nine. Alvarado sought to respond, scoring with his jab but short with the right as Gutierrez moved back and countered with a jab.
Action remained at a boxing pace as fans were eager for a fight to break out. Gutierrez worked the ring while flicking his jab, as Alvarado was unable to pin down his familiar foe. Alvarado’s failure to pick up the pace drew the ire of his corner, who insisted that Gutierrez was spent heading into the championship rounds.
The speech was more motivational than merit-based, as Gutierrez continued to take the lead in round eleven. Alvarado was able to close the gap, though failing to capitalize once within effective punching range. Gutierrez enjoyed the upper hand in the low-volume punch output, using lateral movement to frustrate Alvarado and firing a right hand to keep him honest.
Minor drama came in the final round, with Gutierrez forced to contend with blood flowing from a cut inside his left ear. It didn’t impact his performance, targeting Alvarado’s left eye which was swollen and cut. The fight ended with Gutierrez attempting to initiate a friendly hug and parade around the ring with Alvarado, who wasn’t interested beyond a brief exchange of pleasantries.
Gutierrez lodges the first defense of his secondary title, improving to 26-3-1 (20KOs). Alvarado falls to 32-10 (21KOs), having now lost two straight following his upset knockout win over Andrew Cancio in Nov. 2019 to win the belt that was at stake in this contest.
Gutierrez-Alvarado III served as the chief support on the four-fight main card, headlined by local favorite and rising welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz Jr. (17-0, 17KOs) versus Lithuania’s two-time Olympian and former title challenger Egidijus Kavaliauskas (22-1-1, 18KOs).
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
