David Benavidez believes his dominant cruiserweight performance against Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez came as no surprise to him, even if many doubted him before the fight.
Benavidez moved up from light heavyweight to cruiserweight to challenge Ramirez during Cinco de Mayo weekend at the T-Mobile Arena. Ahead of the fight, many questioned whether his power and speed would carry into the heavier division.
However, ‘The Monster’ answered those doubts emphatically. He overwhelmed Ramirez with pace, combinations, and power before eventually stopping him in the sixth round to capture the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles.
Benavidez never doubted his power against Ramirez
Speaking to Ariel Helwani after the victory, Benavidez admitted he always expected to perform at a high level at cruiserweight.
“Yeah, I knew that I was going to look extremely good because I didn’t have to cut no weight,” Benavidez said.
The newly crowned cruiserweight champion explained that many underestimated his power simply because of the weight jump. However, he insisted that his confidence never changed.
“People didn’t think I had power. But I’ve known I’ve had power my whole life,” he said.
Benavidez then reflected on his experiences in the gym growing up and claimed he had always been able to hurt opponents with his punches.
“Since I was 14 years old, I’ve hurt every single sparring partner that’s been in the ring with me.”
Because of that belief, he entered the Ramirez fight without questioning whether his strength would translate at cruiserweight.
“So for me, having power, I never questioned myself,” he added.
Benavidez views Ramirez fight as breakout moment
Benavidez also revealed that he saw the Ramirez fight as the perfect opportunity to prove critics wrong.
“When I got this fight, I said, okay, this is when I’m really going to be able to shine,” he explained.
He understood that many expected Ramirez, a naturally bigger fighter, to withstand his attacks. However, Benavidez believed the opposite from the beginning.
“Nobody thinks I’m going to come up here and stop this guy. But I know in my heart that I could stop Zurdo Ramirez.”
The American fighter even suggested that previous sparring experiences gave him confidence heading into the contest.
“I told you guys, I hurt him various times in sparring sessions with combinations like that.”
The victory marked one of the biggest wins of Benavidez’s career and instantly changed the narrative around his move to cruiserweight. He became the first boxer to win major titles at 168, 175, and 200 pounds.
Questions about whether he could handle naturally bigger opponents were answered in dramatic fashion. His speed remained intact, while his power appeared even more dangerous without a difficult weight cut.
