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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ORANGE, California – Oscar Duarte’s time with Golden Boy Promotions started by him saying “Yes” to a far more problematic request, so accepting a second consecutive replacement opponent for his main event on Saturday night was really not an imposition.
Duarte, 29, enters his well-deserved first main event in the US against his fellow Mexican Miguel Madueno, who with little over a week’s notice was summoned to replace the former 140lbs world champion Regis Prograis when a shoulder injury ruled Prograis out of the promotion at Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
“I have a lot of experience and I’m ready to fight,” Duarte told BoxingScene. “I’m just happy to fight. I want to fight anybody. I’ve seen [Madueno’s] a fighter who comes forward; that he’s a fighter who likes to counter-punch and then get into it. That’s almost the same as my style. So let’s see who wins.”
That’s been a time-honored attitude for Duarte, whose time with Golden Boy began with him as a replacement foe against a company prospect in Alejandro Salinas in September 2015.
Asked if he could appear in a four-round fight at Belasco Theater in Los Angeles that night, Duarte said yes.
Checking his weight, he realized he was 17lbs over the limit, so he began a hellish cut.
“Two days later, I was 17lbs less,” Duarte recalled, saying he made the trek to the US “with nothing but a backpack and a big set of balls”. He won a split decision.
“I knew that by winning that fight, I was going to be part of Golden Boy,” he said. “After that, we’ve seen what happened.”
Duarte 28-2-1 (22 KOs) heads into this bout against Madueno 31-3 (28 KOs) on a two-fight winning streak that includes the first knockout of the former featherweight champion Joseph Diaz Jnr and a victory by decision in November over Batyr Akhmedov, the stablemate of Dmitry Bivol and Israil Madrimov stablemate, in Saudi Arabia.
Akhmedov replaced the injured Kenneth Sims Jnr, who is on Saturday’s card and has claimed that he was suffering with bursitis in both knees in November.
Duarte has called Sims’ bluff, alleging that Sims found a way to avoid fighting him.
“I do believe that you were not hurt,” he told him at Thursday’s press conference. “You were trying to duck me. But whenever you’re ready, I’m ready to go.”
It’s that type of unbridled enthusiasm for the sport that has endeared Duarte to the Golden Boy chief executive Oscar De La Hoya.
“Those are the fighters you put on the front line because you know they’re coming to fight,” De La Hoya said. “These are the fighters who appreciate the opportunity and they seize the moment.
“With Oscar Duarte, we are always grateful for him because of the shows he puts on, knowing how appreciative he is.”
Duarte’s impressive performances over the past two bouts followed his bout in December 2023 with Ryan Garcia, who stopped Duarte in the eighth round in Houston, Texas.
“I feel there’s no such things as losses – there’s experiences,” Duarte said. “And with Ryan Garcia, I count that as an experience. That fight made me feel more experienced, more motivated and more confident in myself.”
BoxingScene was in his trainer Robert Garcia’s Riverside, California gym when word arrived that Sims was withdrawing from the bout in November, and that Akhmedov would be replacing Sims.
Duarte didn’t bat an eyelid, telling Garcia the opponent change was fine because he’d previously sparred Akhmedov and knew that if he pounded the body, he’d be fine.
He next finds himself ranked ninth with the WBA behind his stablemate and the WBA champion Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela while hoping to parlay a victory on Saturday over Madueno to get closer to his ambition of fighting for a belt.
De La Hoya considered how Prograis has been diminished in his most recent losses to Devin Haney and Jack Catterall, and said that Madueno, 26, offers a “better fight” as he returns from a decision loss in July to Friday’s lightweight title challenger Keyshawn Davis.
“We wish Prograis a speedy recovery, but this opportunity Oscar Duarte has… I think back to those 17lbs he lost,” De La Hoya said. “That shows you he’s hungry; shows you he’s appreciative of opportunities and takes advantage of them. This is another great fight and another example that Duarte doesn’t back down from anybody. Madueno’s a fighter who’s going to be in your face.”
Duarte considered the challenge, the limited time to prepare, and his elevated position in the sport before replying: “I’m ready to do more and I’m looking for a title fight next.”
