By Jim Maltzman: In another casualty from the coronavirus crisis, WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez vs. Roamer Alexis Angulo has been POSTPONED for their April 18 fight on Showtime Boxing at the Arizona Federal Theatre, in Phoenix, Arizona. This is a PBC fight card, and they’re expected to announce additional postponements.
There’s no date for when the Benavidez vs. Angulo fight will be rescheduled. Unfortunately, with the Centers for Disease Control [CDC] advising against large gatherings consisting of 50 people or more for the next 8 weeks, it could be a couple of months at the least before the Benavidez-Angulo fight takes place. That’ll up to Top Rank, of course, to decide when and where to reschedule the fight card.
Benavidez won the WBC 168-lb title last September in stopping champion Anthony Dirrell in the 9th round. Using his heavy hands, Benavidez walked Dirrell (33-2-1, 24 KOs) down, cut him in the 6th and then forced the stoppage three rounds later in the 9th.
Fans were hoping that Benavidez and IBF champion Caleb Plant would square off for a unification match, but that fight will likely need to wait until 2021 before it takes place. Plant says he wants to fight Benavidez, so that makes it a lot easier to put together. Benavidez is gung-ho about taking on Plant, and he can’t wait for that fight to happen.
There are some boxing fans who are optimistic that with warmer temperatures approaching in April, May, and June, this will have an impact on controlling the coronavirus spread. However, the temperatures in Australia are warm and summer-like now, and yet the coronavirus is still spreading in that country.
This suggests that warm temperatures may not slow the growth of the virus. Actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson contracted the coronavirus while in Australia in warm weather. 128 people have died from the virus in Australia.
U.S President Donald Trump is hopeful that the coronavirus will go away by April, but that may not happen given the spread of the illness in Australia right now.
“A lot of people think that goes away in April, with the heat that comes in,” said Trump.
Benavidez (22-0, 19 KOs) was supposed to be making his first defense of his WBC 168-lb title against #9 WBO Angulo (26-1, 22 KOs). This is another interesting fight that has temporarily fallen victim to the COVID 19 pandemic that has sweeping the world in a light speed fashion.
“Per @SampsonBoxing, the David Benavidez event on @ShowtimeBoxing is postponed. PBC will announce later other postponements as well. #boxing #coronavirus,” said @danrafaelespn.