One of the most coveted fights in boxing is the lithe heavyweight clash between unified world champion Dmitry Bivol and pound-for-pound star David Benavidez, and now two-time welterweight champion Shawn Porter has shared his thoughts on the proposed clash.

When Benavidez got back on his feet and fought for the unified cruiserweight world titles last month, many doubted whether his punching power would translate to the 200-pound division, but “The Mexican Monster” quickly proved that it would. stopping Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez in six rounds.

Since then, all the talk has been whether Benavidez could return to the lithe heavyweight scene and face Bivol, but suggestions of a catchweight fight have raised concerns about whether the 29-year-old will actually be able to drop down to 175 pounds.

I keep talking your own podcastPorter declared that Bivol had the style to hand the “Mexican Monster” the first defeat of his career, believing that the way to defeat the three-division world champion was to snail-paced him down.

“Bivol was Bivol [against Michael Eifert]. Will Bivol beat David Benavidez? I think so [even] If sparring was going well for David back then, there is still so much to consider, so many things to consider.

“I think that’s the style you need to beat or compete with Benavidez. You have to be quick, but also have a certain power and pop that Benavidez has to respect and be more calculated.”

“If you snail-paced down Benavidez, you’ll have a better chance of beating him.”

Despite the ‘Mexican Monster”s wishes to face Bivol, there appear to be obstacles to the fight taking place as the WBO has ordered Bivol to defend his world titles against Liverpool’s Callum Smith, while a trilogy fight with Artur Beterbiev is also being discussed.

David Haye made one of Deontay Wilder’s boldest claims in the build-up to his rematch with Tyson Fury, only for the argument to look very different twelve days later as Fury led the American out in Las Vegas.

In February 2020, Haye supported Wilder’s chin, recovery ability and all-time punching ability ahead of his rematch with Fury at the MGM Grand.

At the time, it wasn’t an outrageous sight because Haye knew Wilder better than most from many sparring rounds.

Wilder was also undefeated, still the WBC heavyweight champion, and had almost knocked out Fury in the final round of their first meeting in 2018, which meant many people still believed that one immaculate right hand could decide the rematch.

This was the most feared version of Wilder in boxing before Fury changed the entire conversation in seven brutal rounds.

David Haye on Deontay Wilder

Ahead of the Wilder vs Fury II fight, Haye recalled his sparring sessions with Wilder before the “Bronze Bomber” became world champion.

The former cruiserweight and heavyweight titleholder told Richie Woodall on BT Sport that Wilder’s punch resistance is underestimated.

“One thing people don’t mention is impact resistance. I’ve never heard anyone say that [Deontay] I can take the shot. He can hit the shot,” Haye said.

Haye then took the point further.

“Not only does he have a good chin, but he has great recovery ability,” he added.

This was the part that came back most strongly when Fury caught him, because while Haye’s assessment of Wilder’s strength was always easier to defend, the chin and recovery argument was about to face a very different kind of pressure.

Wilder remains one of the most perilous single-punch heavyweights boxing has ever seen, with his right hand securing a world title and leaving many opponents losing their minds. No one needed to exaggerate this threat.

The rematch was different because Fury failed to give Wilder a immaculate, upright fight at the distance that allowed the threat to breathe.

Wilder vs. Fury II

Fury entered the rematch heavier, meaner and fully committed to pushing Wilder back and choking him.

From the opening rounds, the fight was nothing like the first encounter, as the challenger leaned on him, battered him, physically abused him, and kept Wilder from loading up on the weapon that made his career.

WBN was ringside in Las Vegas and scored, but the booking never mattered as Fury knocked down Wilder in the third round, knocked him down again in the fifth and kept the pressure on until the seventh when the towel came and referee Kenny Bayliss stopped the fight.

At the beginning of the seventh round, WBN had Fury in the lead 59-52. The scorecard was there, but Fury made it irrelevant.

The ringside results report described how Fury mauled, manipulated and stopped Deontay Wilder in the seventh minute, which was about as far from Haye’s assessment as Fury could take.

The claim failed within 12 days

Haye said Wilder could take the shot and recover quickly, but Fury forced boxing to see the opposite picture over seven increasingly uncomfortable rounds.

Wilder wasn’t simply sent off. He was slowly being torn apart by the pressure, size, clinch strength and a game plan designed to strip him of the rhythm that made him so perilous.

When Fury hurt him, Wilder never looked like the same fighter again.

The rematch exposed the difference between carrying terrifying power and facing a heavyweight who won’t let you recover.

Wilder still had power, but Fury had lost his aura.

The fury changed everything

Before that night, Wilder could still point to Fury’s twelfth-round escape in the first fight and argue that one punch almost decided everything.

After the rematch, the conversation was completely different because Fury not only outlived Wilder. He dominated him.

Haye’s theorem remains one of the most memorable takeaways from the fracas.

Twelve days before Fury II, Wilder was praised for his beard, recovery and devastating power. Twelve days later, only one of these claims still seemed secure.

The power survived, but everything else was destroyed.

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.

“If he feels like he needs a good fight, I like that because it tells me he’s not entirely confident because he’s had 12 good rounds against Makhmudov, right? To the point where do you really need more rounds? That’s what the fans will say. Does he need one more? Because that creates a risk of something going wrong,” Hearn told Sky Sports Boxing.

Hearn pointed to Fury’s recent comments about Joshua’s return and questioned why the former heavyweight champion now believed another fight was necessary.

“He said to us, ‘Oh, you don’t need another fight. We had four rounds with Jake Paul.’ I mean, in two years of boxing, come on,” Hearn said. “You had 12 rounds with Makhmudov at Tottenham but you still feel you need more rounds to prepare for Anthony Joshua.”

Fury defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov over 12 rounds in April after coming out of retirement. At the time, many expected him to go straight to the fight with Joshua. Instead, Fury continued to push for another performance ahead of his clash with the British heavyweight.

Hearn doesn’t believe the extra rounds will make a difference when Fury eventually splits the ring with Joshua.

“But now I’ll tell you something. More rounds won’t support you, because I can see it. When Makhmudov came out in this fight, I just know what AJ will do.”

Promoter Matchroom said Joshua remains focused on Prengi, but admitted a sturdy performance next month could mean he enters the fight with Fury with renewed confidence after a hard period away from the ring.

“If we keep that confidence, if we can go there and put on a great performance together on July 25, we will go into the fight with Tyson Fury with a lot of confidence. It will be an vital moment for the sport, but July 25 has to be the first,” Hearn said.