Sixth-round TKO ends Ramirez’s resistance after sustained pressure and clean shots
David Benavidez (32-0, 26 KOs) stopped Gilberto Ramirez (48-2) at 2:59 of the sixth round to win the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles. He built control early and forced the stoppage with steady pressure and clean combinations.
The pressure and accuracy began to show by the middle rounds, with Ramirez’s left eye swelling and his nose bloodied as his output dropped and he struggled to see the shots coming. Benavidez stayed on him without giving space, piling up clean punches until the referee halted the contest after Ramirez could no longer defend effectively.
Benavidez mixed his attack with purpose. He dug to the body, came back upstairs with hooks, and stayed compact through the exchanges. Ramirez had to absorb shots just to get into range. By the middle rounds, his guard was breaking and his face was showing it.
“I knew I wasn’t going to be able to overpower him because it was my first time coming up to 200lbs,” Benavidez said. “So, I knew I had to use the gifts that God gave me: speed, power, movement, punch selection and IQ. That’s exactly what I did.”
Benavidez stayed incredibly disciplined, specifically zeroing in on the damaged areas. Once the nose went and the breathing became labored, Ramirez seemed to realize he was just a stationary target for a guy who doesn’t stop throwing. Taking a knee was a veteran’s survival instinct kicking in because the hand speed differential made it impossible for him to time anything in return.
The finish came in the sixth. Benavidez stepped in again, set his feet, and let his hands go in tight combinations that forced Ramirez down a second time. The count reached ten at 2:59.
“I just wanted to give the fans what they want to see,” Benavidez said. “I see Canelo is in the building. Let me just ask the fans this. Do you guys want to see Canelo versus David Benavidez? Enough said.”
There is a fine line between a fighter “quitting” and a corner or athlete recognizing a lost cause to save their career for another day. Ramirez has a lot of miles on the clock, and standing there to take more unanswered power shots from a puncher like Benavidez could have led to permanent damage.
