Sanctioning authorities have yet to comment on the elbow shots identified during David Benavidez’s arrest of Gilberto Ramirez, even though replays of the footage raise questions about the finish.

World Boxing News identified the incidents during a review after viewers marked the final exchange and slow-motion replays appeared to show multiple elbow strikes during the barrage that ended the fight.

Sanctioning the silence of the body

The footage has already raised questions about whether it should have been dealt with. Why the final moments passed without review remains unclear and there has been no official confirmation from the sport’s governing bodies.

In its official report of the fight, the World Boxing Association focused on Benavidez’s “devastating display of power” in winning the cruiserweight title, detailing the sixth-round stoppage without addressing the elbow contact seen on the replay.

This omission is conspicuous. Despite the clips circulating, neither the World Boxing Association nor the World Boxing Organization has provided any review or explanation.

Under boxing rules, elbow contact can result in a point deduction or disqualification, depending on weight and intent. No such action was taken during the fight and no further explanation has been provided since.

Footage from the elbow is eye-catching

The footage and still images are so clear that they require careful analysis. No one is taking anything away from David Benavidez, who probably would have earned a break anyway. However, the problem is the lack of confirmation – especially when the contact is apparent on the replay.

At a minimum, events should be recorded. Even a brief acknowledgment that there was elbow contact would bring clarity. Instead, no governing body signaled any review, leaving the situation without explanation after a night in which Benavidez dominated Gilberto Ramirez and later set the terms for their cruiserweight rivals.

The problem is no longer what happened – that is why it has not been solved.

Because the evidence is in the public domain and no official position has been provided, the issues raised by the termination remain unresolved.

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

“Yahoo Japan confirms our previous report: over $30 million in Tokyo Dome event box office for Naoya Inoue vs Junto Nakatani,” said analyst JuliusJulianis in his X account.

“And with the PPV on Thursday, they already sold over 500,000 at $40 each, so they would probably sell a little more, 800,000 PPV.”

In the US, the fight was a standard subscription event rather than a PPV, likely to lessen the impact of the early morning start time. Early streaming data suggests a acute rise and fall in viewership, with viewership only peaking in the final four innings as East Coast fans began to wake up.

Without the marketing push from the Las Vegas slot machine, the uncontested 122-pound bout remained niche interest. Most casual fans were preoccupied with the David Benavidez vs. Gilberto Ramirez cruiserweight fight later that evening, which was the headline story in the Western media.

The super bantamweight division remains a tough sell to the American public. Despite Inoue’s P4P status, the lack of a “villain” or recognizable domestic rival makes it challenging for him to break out of the “hardcore” bubble.

While Inoue is a superstar in Tokyo, his reach in the U.S. is still circumscribed due to the “out of sight, out of mind” nature of his Japanese residences. To the casual observer, 122 pounds is seen as a developmental milestone rather than a goal.

For boxing purists, Nakatani’s victory was simply the last hurdle before the real danger began. The consensus among the hardcore community is that Inoue has “cleared” 122 weights and is now overstaying his welcome in a comfortable weight class.

Pressure is mounting to move up to the 126-pound (featherweight) weight class, with three champions waiting:

Rafael Espinoza: “Divino” has terrible height for Inoue and is at a disadvantage.

Luis Alberto Lopez: Known for its unconventional power and durability.

Bruce Carrington: The rising tech star, many believe, has the tools to outsmart the “Monster.”

The event was a financial triumph with over $30 million in the gate and over $500,000 in purchases domestically, but it failed to move the needle in the US. For Inoue to truly conquer the West, he may have to stop being the A-side in the Tokyo Dome and start being a contender at 126 pounds against the featherweight Lions.

Will a $30 million payday in Japan be enough to keep Inoue at 122 pounds, or will the lure of “all-time great” status force him to move up to featherweight and put his undefeated record on the line?

Oscar De La Hoya had a lot to say after David Benavidez defeated Gilberto Ramirez on Saturday to become the three-division world champion.

Benavidez has proven he can carry his power up to 200 pounds he scored a sixth-round victory over Ramirez to win the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

It was a performance that caught the attention of all of boxing, and “The Mexican Monster” still holds the WBC lithe heavyweight title, having previously held the 168-pound world champion.

De La Hoya is Ramirez’s promoter, so he was ringside on Saturday to watch the situation unfold, and while he may have wanted his fighter to win, – he admitted in an interview with Fight Hub TV that it was a masterful performance by Benavidez.

“Attractive. Benavidez saw, massive hits, and the only shot Zurdo had was right in the middle. The speed was too brisk, Benavidez was too huge. The monster has been here for a long time. I’m very proud of him.”

Benavidez is currently expected to drop down to 175 pounds for his next fight, and De La Hoya also revealed what he thinks the next “Mexican Monster” fight should be.

“He has a lot of options. I think he is the man in this weight class now. Whoever fights him will have to wait in line… Benavidez is the right man now.”

Most fans would like to see an undisputed fight against unified lithe heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol next, but first the Russian will face Michael Eifert on May 30 at the UGMK Arena in Yekaterinburg, Russia.