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.

Former WBC heavyweight world champion Frank Bruno has shared his thoughts ahead of the ‘Battle of Britain’ between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury scheduled for later this year, which is expected to be the biggest fight in British boxing history.

Bruno seemed to be the man to break the British heavyweight madness, as Britain had failed to produce a champion in the division in the 20th century, when the ‘True Briton’ was a stern contender in the 1980s.

However, Bruno was instead knocked out by Tim Witherspoon and Mike Tyson in two title fights before Lennox Lewis became the country’s first heavyweight world champion since Bob Fitzsimmons in 1899 when he was elevated to the title in 1992.

The following year, Lewis and Bruno met in what was deemed to be a showdown dubbed the “Battle of Britain”, as Bruno was unsuccessful in his bid for a third world titlebut ultimately won the heavyweight crown in 1995.

This duo started a recent era, and in the following years a host of British heavyweights became world champions. Now, 33 years after Lewis-Bruno, the two-time reigning duo are set to collide in a blockbuster blockbuster at Wembley Stadium, Bruno said No seconds that Joshua’s mentality would prove decisive.

“Anthony Joshua, I don’t know what kind of attitude he comes with. If he comes and likes the job, he will be a risky guy and he can punch difficult. They know each other and I hope it will be a good fight and that the better one will win because I like Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua too.

I think it’s a good move [Joshua training with Usyk]. This is all a good experience for Anthony Joshua. Joshua has everything, he looks like a gorilla and if he believes in himself, he can punch a tree trunk, but if he doesn’t believe in himself, Tyson Fury [can cause problems]. If he’s in a good mood, I don’t see him having a problem.

For the Joshua-Fury fight to take place, “AJ” must first send Albanian Kristian Prenga, with whom the fight will take place on Saturday, July 25 in Riyad, Saudi Arabia.

“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?