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David Benavidez Q&A: Anthony Yarde, the pursuit of greatness and Canelo

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David Benavidez is in the delicate heavyweight division and will defend his WBC title for the first time against Briton Anthony Yarde on Saturday in Riyad, Saudi Arabia.

He’s been around for so long that it’s straightforward to forget that the “Mexican Monster” is only 28 years venerable. One of the most invigorating talents in boxing, Benavidez is always looking for fun and has made no secret of the fact that he wants to win his remaining three belts at 175 pounds before one day moving up to cruiserweight.

He also chased a fight with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez for what seemed like an eternity, but he didn’t wait until he figured out his way to the top.

ESPN’s James Regan caught up with him ahead of Saturday’s fight.


Anthony Yarde’s coach Tunde Ajayi has said he thinks you can forget about them on Saturday. What do you think about these comments?

“I mean, to be sincere with you, I’ve never missed anyone. If anything, this is the hardest fight I’ve ever trained for any fight. He can say whatever he wants, but at the end of the day, when I step into the ring, I know that every opponent… They’re getting better and better than my last opponent.”

“That’s why I have to show him respect to every opponent, because if you don’t show your opponent the respect he deserves, fights become challenging.

“But I’ve been training for this fight for about four and a half months just because I’m not there saying, ‘Oh, this is going to be the hardest fight of my life, this and that.’

“Maybe that’s why they think I’m overlooking them. But like I said, I’m taking all the necessary precautions to be 100% ready for this fight. We’ve done hundreds of rounds of sparring. We’ve run almost 500 miles. Everything was fine.”


You are proud to be a “fighter of the past” and always come to war. Yarde probably thinks the same about himself. Do you think this makes for an invigorating clash?

“Oh yes, definitely. It’s going to be an invigorating fight from start to finish. Anthony Yarde, I’ve had my eye on him for a long time and I think he’s a special talent.

“He has a lot of skills, but these types of fighters excite me. I know it’s going to be a war and like I said, I’ve prepared extremely well for this fight. I’m 100 percent ready.”


You always like to have fun in the ring and push the action, and you aim for the knockout whenever you can. What is it about you that makes you want to be this type of warrior?

“That’s the type of fighter I’ve been throughout my career. I learned to fight like that when I was a little kid, and that led me to playing professionally. I just like fighting that way.”

“[Fans] I don’t want to see two warriors running away from each other. I’m proud of it. If there’s a fighter out there who’s forceful, a forceful fighter who’s not running from anyone and who’s actually looking for a fight, that doesn’t scare me.

“If someone tells me they’re going to war with me, I want them to do it. This is the way I’ve been fighting my whole life, since I was a little kid. So I don’t know how to fight any other way.”


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What boxers did David Benavidez watch growing up?

WBC delicate heavyweight champion David Benavidez lists his favorite boxers he watched growing up.

Which players did you watch and admire growing up?

“Manny Pacquiao, Marco Antonio Barrera, Prince Naseem Hamed, Mike Tyson, James Toney, Roberto Duran. I studied many of these people when I was younger. And I remember not only studying them, but also how I felt watching these fighters fight.

“We had barbecues at home and when we got these types of players, the energy was high and everyone enjoyed what they saw.

“Even if it’s a person who doesn’t even know boxing, if you give him a fight like that, he’ll always be your fan.”


You have already achieved so much in your career and you are only 28 years venerable. What does greatness mean to you right now? And what will your legacy be when all this is over?

“Greatness for me is being the type of warrior who doesn’t run away from anyone. Greatness for me is [being] the type of fighter who goes in there and gets respect from whoever he is.

“I’ve heard a lot of people say there are people I don’t want to fight, but when I get in the ring with them, I’m not going to run away from anyone. That’s the type of fighter I want to be.”

“Greatness to me means achievement, winning all the belts in a weight class and that’s what I’m trying to do and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I want to become undisputed in this weight class. If I had the opportunity to fight for all the belts, I would be undisputed in the super middleweight division.

“But that didn’t happen for obvious reasons. For me, it just means winning all the belts in my weight class, making weight, and also defending my title and being the type of fighter that is respected by everyone, even professional fighters.”


Now that you have children, how does this affect your thinking about what it means to be a role model for them in terms of respect, strenuous work and adversity that you have faced in your career?

“It’s definitely critical to me because not only do I want to talk about it, but I also want to show it and I want to show my children how to do it, and not only my children, but anyone who is interested and wants to be like that.

“I think I’m on track to achieve that, but there’s still a lot to do and we’ll do everything we can.

“I’m going to continue to achieve everything I set out to do. And like I said, I’m just going to be a positive influence on the youth, kids and juvenile warriors of the next generation. I feel like I’m doing really well so far, but I’m going to keep doing what I’ve been doing.”


You’ve made it clear you still want to fight Canelo. After Terence Crawford’s defeat, do you think this fight is closer or further away?

“I don’t know, honestly, I don’t know. Every time I feel like I know something about Canelo or the Canelo fight, things don’t go the way I expect. But like I said, until Canelo retires, it’s always going to be a topic and it’s always going to be a fight that people want to see.”

“I just have to keep doing what I’m doing. Even with this, the fight is getting bigger and bigger. It was already substantial, but I just keep fighting and winning championships, and if I decide to move up to cruiserweight and get those belts, I think that will make the fight even bigger.”

“I’m ready to fight at any time. I think it would be a great fight with Canelo and I think it has to happen, but the only person who doesn’t want this fight to happen is Canelo. He might say he’s not afraid of anyone, this and that, but the fight makes sense in any category.”

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Boxing

Frank Sanchez knocks out Richard Torrez Jr in two rounds

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Image: Frank Sanchez Knocks Out Richard Torrez Jr In Two Rounds

Heavyweight fighters only need one spotless counter to end the fight. Sanchez waited for his shot and didn’t miss.

Sanchez controlled the distance early with his jab, which forced Torrez to get to the offense instead of moving in behind balanced combinations. He moved forward, tried to quickly close the distance and tried to force an exchange of words. Sanchez never looked rushed. He stayed behind the jab, kept his feet under him and gave Torrez different looks as he boxed from distance.

The opening round moved at a steady pace. Torrez was the busier player coming forward to attack, but Sanchez looked at ease, taking petite steps back and setting up counters. He read the entries.

It ended up being the second one.

Torrez came back into action, looking to attack, and Sanchez fired a right hand straight into the hole. The shot landed on target and dropped Torrez tough to the canvas. He tried to rally and defeat the count, but his legs gave the answer before he could.

Torrez’s pressing style keeps him upright when he comes in aggressively, and Sanchez timed the opening perfectly.

The referee stepped in immediately.

Sanchez entered the fight needing a statement after a knockout loss to Agit Kabayel stalled his progress. He returned earlier this year against lower-level opponents, but the question remained where he stood among the better heavyweights.

The victory brings Sanchez closer to another title shot. Torrez suffers the first defeat of his professional career after facing a heavyweight who remained disciplined and fired before the fight could fully develop.

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Boxing

Canelo responds to David Benavidez by offering him a featherlight heavyweight title fight

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Canelo responds to David Benavidez offering him title fight at light heavyweight

Canelo Alvarez has commented on David Benavidez’s recent call for a clash between the two teams.

Canelo and Benavidez have been linked to a fight for many years, dating back to when they both competed at super middleweight.

While Canelo remains one of the key fighters at 168 pounds, Benavidez has since moved up the rankings, becoming the WBC featherlight heavyweight champion for the first time claiming he defeated Gilberto Ramirez earlier this month win the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles.

Following this victory, Benavidez was linked to fights with the likes of Dmitry Bivol and Jai Opetaia, but he once again made it clear that he would offer Canelo a chance to win the WBC 175-pound belt.

Canelo has now responded by revealing in a media interview with Boxing News that he’s not surprised that Benavidez challenged him again, but he doubts that “The Mexican Monster” will still be able to make the featherlight heavyweight limit after moving up to cruiserweight.

“Every boxer in any category challenges me. It’s nothing modern for me. He did well in the fight [against Ramirez]. I’m not surprised [he called me out]but I don’t think he can get to 175 pounds anymore. It’s not my problem.

Canelo has already competed at 175 pounds twice, but for now a move to featherlight heavyweight seems unlikely given his current world title shot against WBC super middleweight champion Christian Mbilli in Riyad, Saudi Arabia on September 12.

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Boxing

Mayweather Legal Case: $175 Million Fraud Suit, Child Support Order

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Floyd Mayweather Jr. he spent Friday on both sides of the dock. The retired, undefeated former champion filed a lawsuit accusing former associates of defrauding him of at least $175 million, the same day reports surfaced that a Nevada judge had ordered him to pay more than $1 million in child support. These developments include the $340 million lawsuit Mayweather filed against Showtime in February and a number of smaller claims against him over the past few months.

$175 million fraud case

According to court documents obtained by TMZ SportsMayweather maintains that Jona Rechnitz, a former close associate, spent years gaining his trust before becoming his de facto financial manager, real estate broker and banking broker. The complaint named Rechnitz, Ayala Frist, Frist Apex Ventures and attorney Alexander Seligson, accusing the group of orchestrating a multi-year scheme that allegedly depleted Mayweather’s accounts through fraudulent investments, unauthorized wire transfers and undisclosed business entities.

Among the claims, Mayweather alleges that approximately $100 million worth of jewelry was transferred to Miami jewelers in exchange for approximately $13 million, with most of it still held by dealers; that he committed $7.5 million to an investment that never came to fruition; and that $15 million related to the real estate settlement was transferred without his consent. The filing also alleges that he unknowingly signed documents transferring ownership of his Gulfstream jet, leaving the buyer’s section blank, and that he did not know where the proceeds went. The allegations have not been tested in court and the named parties have not publicly responded as of the filing date of the lawsuit.

Maintenance order

Separately, a Nevada judge found Mayweather, 49, to be the legal father of a 4-year-old girl, Price Moorehead, and ordered him to pay $32,850 a month in continuing support and $933,050 in back payments, he claims. documents reported by Complex and originally obtained by TMZ Sports. The paternity ruling was made in March 2026. The case began in 2023, when Paige Moorehead, who, according to the documents, worked at the Mayweather’s Girl Collection club in Las Vegas, filed a paternity petition. The court granted a default judgment after Mayweather failed to comply with an order to submit to DNA testing. Data cited in the report shows that about $151,000 has been paid toward the remaining amount, and a judge has granted a lien on California properties linked to Mayweather of up to $2 million to secure payment.

Showtime Suit

The novel filings are the culmination of a $340 million lawsuit Mayweather filed in February against Showtime Networks and former Showtime Sports president Stephen Espinoza in Los Angeles County Superior Court. That complaint alleges that Mayweather’s former manager and advisor, Al Haymon, orchestrated a long-running financial fraud scheme involving the network and Espinoza, citing four causes of action, including aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty and civil conspiracy to commit fraud. In the complaint, Haymon was described as the architect of the alleged scheme but was not named as a defendant. Espinoza said he was surprised by the lawsuit and defended his records, while a spokesman for Showtime’s parent company, Paramount, called the claims baseless. Details of this report were described in a previous report by Boxing Insider.

The bigger financial picture

The proceedings are ongoing alongside a number of separate claims against Mayweather. He faced a $7.3 million IRS tax lien, lawsuits from two Miami jewelers over unpaid bills, a dispute over more than $300,000 in unpaid rent for a Manhattan apartment and a claim for private jet services. Mayweather, who retired in 2017 with a 50-0 record, remains lively in the exhibition ring and has been linked with a rematch with Manny Pacquiao scheduled for September in Las Vegas.

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