David Benavidez delivered a statement win against Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez on May 2 at T-Mobile Arena. He stopped Ramirez in the sixth round to secure the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles.
Following the victory, Benavidez is pushing toward the biggest fights available. However, ex-sparring partner Andre Dirrell believes a showdown against Dmitry Bivol would be a step too far for ‘The Monster.’
Benavidez has recently expressed interest in facing several elite names, including Bivol, Oleksandr Usyk, Canelo Alvarez, and Jai Opetaia. Still, Dirrell believes Bivol represents the toughest stylistic challenge possible for the newly crowned cruiserweight champion.
Dirrell calls Bivol the ‘final boss’ for Benavidez
Speaking with FightHype, Dirrell asserted that he does not see Benavidez defeating the Russian star.
“Bivol is the final boss,” Dirrell said.
‘The Resurrected’ explained that, in his view, Benavidez simply lacks the tools needed to overcome Bivol’s style.
“I don’t think that he can beat Bivol. I don’t think that there is literally anything that he can do to get the victory,” Dirrell added.
Despite that harsh assessment, Dirrell still expects the fight itself to remain competitive.
“I’m not saying that it is not going to be close, what I am saying is, there is nothing that he can do to win.”
Dirrell believes Bivol’s movement would be too much for Benavidez
Dirrell specifically pointed to Bivol’s footwork, movement, and overall ring IQ as the biggest problems for Benavidez.
“I think that Bivol will edge him out as far as movement,” Dirrell explained.
According to him, Benavidez’s aggressive pressure style could actually play into Bivol’s strengths.
“How David pursues versus how well Bivol moves and punches, along with his movement, he will simply be too much for David,” he said.
Dirrell also suggested that Benavidez’s determination would keep him competitive throughout the fight, even if he falls behind.
“He will be trying to figure it out, he will be more determined as each round progresses and he will never give up.”
Dirrell says Benavidez would still benefit from the fight
Although Dirrell predicts defeat for Benavidez, he believes the experience could still prove valuable for the unbeaten American star.
“That will, in turn, give him a great performance against Bivol,” Dirrell said.
Dirrell believes the fight would help Benavidez grow as a fighter moving forward.
“He will learn a lot about himself in that loss to Bivol. That is the only sure thing for me.”
With Benavidez aggressively pursuing elite-level opposition and Bivol still viewed as one of boxing’s most technically complete champions, speculation around a future clash continues to grow. It was reported that they are in talks for the bout. The newly crowned champion further went on to suggest a catchweight fight with six titles on the line.
That being said, Bivol is set to defend his titles against Michael Eifert on May 30 at UMMC Arena Ekaterinburg.
