By Aragon Garcia: Trainer/dad Jose Benavidez Sr. is happy to see Jermall Charlo talking about wanting to move up to super-middleweight to take on his son WBC champion David Benavidez. Jose is hoping that Charlo (30-0, 22 KOs) will take the fight with Benavidez (22-0, 19 KOs) soon after a couple of fights, and he’s confident that his guy will win that match.
This is going to be an interesting match when Charlo and Benavidez do eventually mix it up. Benavidez, 23, hasn’t had anyone that can match his power and talent since he turned professional in 2013. He wants to take on IBF super middleweight champion Caleb Plant, but there hasn’t been any movement in making that unification bout take place as of yet.
With Charlo, he WANTS to face Benavidez, or at least he says h wants to. That’s going to give Benavidez his first real test, and it’s a fight that could take him to the next level in terms of popularity.
Benavidez’s best wins have come against these fighters:
- Anthony Dirrell
- Ronald Gavril
- Denis Douglin
- J’Leon Love
Jose impressed with Charlo brothers
“Tt’s so funny because of these days the Charlos, the Caleb Plants with all these names, we’re in a good position,” said Jose Benavidez to Fighthype on his son David. “Before, they didn’t even call on us. Now the Charlos are calling on us, and to me, that’s an honor.
“Charlo is a really good fighter in my eyes, and he’s a dangerous fighter. Canelo, he’s the face of boxing. Now there’s talk about all that. It just makes me happy that we’re on the level where people are starting to get to know him now. Wherever you talk about the champions at 168, he’s there, you know?
“When he [Jermall] first came out, we love boxing, we see these guys [the Charlo brothers] that are exciting, and talk a lot of s***. They’re exciting,” said Benavidez about Jermall and Jermell. “They are exciting, and they’re brothers, they were knocking everyone out and doing all these things.
“I was like, ‘Whoa, these guys are good.’ The knockouts stopped a little bit because the competition was better, but that’s how it is. After first, they fight guys that aren’t that experienced. That’s how it’s supposed to be, and little by little, its what you learn,” said Jose on Jermall and Jermell.
Charlo, 29, hasn’t fought anyone with the size or the heavy hands of Benavidez, and this is going to be an eye-opening fight for him when he gets in there. At the same time, Benavidez has yet to face a fighter with Charlo’s explosive power and talent. He’s on another level to the fighters Benavidez has been facing his entire career.
Benavidez is NOT another Lubin
“Are you ready for the big boys? Right now, they’re champions, but the people want to see better fights now,” said Jose in questioning whether the Charlo brothers are ready for the talented fighters.
“They say, ‘Okay, you’re going to fight David Benavidez.’ They’re saying, ‘Oh man, David Benavidez is going to kill you. We both have our own fans, and it gets interesting.
“Some people say that Charlo will beat David, but 70 percent say that David will beat Charlo because he’s bigger. Charlo is saying that David is really young. He’s a baby, you know? He’s trying to compare him to [Erickon] Lubin, but you can’t compare that, you know?
“David [Benavidez] is the champion for a reason. He has two belts. Plus, you know what’s going to happen in that fight. We’re not going to in there to box. David is an exciting fighter. He wants to give the people what they pay for. We’re going to go in there and attack. He doesn’t run around or fight on his back foot,” said Jose in describing how Benavidez fights.
It wasn’t Jermall that fought Erickson Lubin. That was his brother Jermell Charlo. Benavidez is the same age as Lubin, but he’s nothing like him as far as size, power, chin, or talent. Benavidez is a lot bigger, more rugged, and powerful. In addition, Benavidez doesn’t make the same mistakes that Lubin does. You won’t see Benavidez ducking down low to make himself smaller against Jermall. Lubin lost to Jermell because he ducked down in front of him, and caught with one of his chopping right hands.
Charlo should take a couple of fights at 168 first
“I think that would be a great fight, man, because one of them is going to go down,” said Jose on a clash between David Benavidez and Charlo. “I’m pretty sure we’re going to beat him because of what we’re doing. I train him [Benavidez], and I know what he’s doing. “I’m confident.
“He should do a couple of fights at 168. I don’t think that fight is going to happen. And I don’t think they’re going to fight David right away. I think he’s[Charlo]going to get to 168 and see where he’s at, and then from then on [look to face Benavidez]. That’s a fight that we would want, and, take, you know?
“I don’t think it’s going to be an easy fight, but it’s going to be an exciting fight, and eventually, David is going to beat him,” said Jose on predicting that Benavidez will defeat Charlo. “It’s going to take some time, but little by little, he’ll break him down. But that’s what I see happening. David’s shots are too big for him,” said Jose.
There’s no question that Charlo will take a couple of tuneup fights at super middleweight before he looks to face Benavidez for his WBC 168-pound belt. While Charlo is his own promoter, his adviser is Al Haymon, and he’s not likely going to want to put him in with Benavidez right off the bat. That would be foolish.
Benavidez can box when he needs to
“It’s going to be an exciting fight,” continued Jose in talking of Benavidez vs. Jermall. “He’s [Charlo] going to try and come forward, and then move a little bit back when he feels these shots [from Benavidez].
“But I don’t think he’s used to doing that. Another thing about David, a lot of people say he’s flat-footed. Look at some videos of him how he moves around the ring. There’s no need for it yet.
“He wants to finish people, and he can’t finish people by boxing and looking all slick. There’s no need for that now. We want to go in there and see what they have.
“Of course, if we see a guy has power, we’re going to box around and try and be more intelligent. But if we don’t feel the shot and think that there’s not a lot of danger in there, we’re going to try and take him out as we do with everybody.
“We go forward, forward, and forward, but if there’s a fight where somebody is stronger; There’s always somebody stronger than you. If we find someone stronger than you, then we’re going to need to box and move and try to be careful. Exactly,” said Jose when Artur Beterbiev was mentioned as someone that Benavidez would need to be careful with.
Against Charlo, it would be a good idea that Benavidez box at times to escape the heat from his punches because he’s got the power to end his fights at any given moment.
