Deontay Wilder has 42 knockouts from 43 wins and the power, he and his trainer Malik Scott believe, to put heavyweight rivals off signing contracts.
The fearsome puncher from Alabama held the WBC World Title for the best part of half a decade before being stopped by Tyson Fury twice – the one man he has lost to.
Wilder returns to the ring this month against Joseph Parker after a year out, and in that time others have been making their cases for ‘the most dangerous man on the planet.’
Speaking to FightHype, Scott made his pick for one David Benavidez.
“The real nightmare is he walks to you, he’s imposing, but he’s not slow, so that means the offence is coming at you at a rapid speed.
And you’re thinking maybe you can hit him back because his feet are out of position, but his head movement is on such a swivel that, not only is he ready to make you miss, he’s ready to make you pay with a 4, 5, 6 combination.”
“He’s probably the most dangerous fighter, you take out Deontay, Benavidez is the most dangerous man on the planet in my opinion. Mentality-wise, the punch output, the intent when he’s punching, the head control, his imposing will, his hard work.
I’m very impressed with him. He’s one of the fighters that I truly believe he would fight anybody, anywhere, anytime. I believe he would take less money just to prove he’s the best, and that’s very, very rare.”
Benavidez has been WBC Super-Middleweight Champion twice, but remains undefeated having lost the belt once due to cocaine use and the second time from failure to make weight.
He has plugged away in the division since then, fighting anybody who stands in his way of a shot at Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and the undisputed title.
Most recently that was Demetrius Andrade, who Benavidez ground down and punished until a corner retirement in the sixth round. It was a vintage performance by ‘The Mexican Monster’ – his 24th stoppage from 28 wins – and one that has left fans demanding the Canelo fight happen in 2024.
As Wilder works hard in training camp for his December 23 bout, Benavidez has earned a break before returning in the first half of 2024.