Boxing
Roy Jones sees one path for Gilberto Ramirez to beat David Benavidez
Benavidez created the same problem for opponent after opponent. Players may be competitive at the beginning, but few maintain that level once the rounds are over.
“Guys are having good rounds, they’re not putting up good fights with him. Ultimately, they get exhausted mentally, physically and emotionally, and David Benavidez takes over and gets his hand raised,” Jones told the Hall of Game.
This became a key advantage for Benavidez. His pressure doesn’t always lend a hand in the first few minutes, but it often changes the entire fight when opponents start reacting instead of working.
But Jones doesn’t see Ramirez as a helpless underdog. He cited the Mexican southerner’s experience, length and consistent style as reasons why the fight could become arduous if Benavidez is unable to break him down early.
“If Zordo Ramirez can weather these storms without taking too much of a penalty and keeping the ball tight on defense, he has a chance,” Jones said.
Ramirez has won titles in multiple divisions and has shown that he can fight at a pace without missing many rounds. This can make a difference against an opponent who thrives when rallies become rushed and tumultuous.
Gilberto Ramirez has spent the last few years acclimating to the higher weight classes, and his cruiserweight frame is naturally broader than what David Benavidez faced.
However, Benavidez’s punishment against Oleksandr Gvozdyk and David Morrell Jr. was obvious. Although he won both fights by unanimous decision, those victories were different from his 168 search-and-destroy streak.
In his lithe heavyweight debut against Gwozdyk, Benavidez admitted to suffering a torn ligament in his hand and a cut that forced him to box more conservatively. He dominated the first half, but his punch stats showed a significant sharpening in the later rounds.
Benavidez outscored Gvozdyk 107 to 57 in rounds 1 through 5. That gap narrowed to a much smaller 116 to 106 in the final seven rounds.
The match against Morrell was a close one, with Morrell’s athleticism and strength forcing Benavidez to take weighty shots. Even though the scorecards were clear (118-108, 115-111, 115-111), Benavidez finished the fight with a better result than usual.
The jump to fight Ramirez for the cruiserweight title represents a 25-pound escalate over Benavidez’s longtime home at super middleweight. Critics say that if Gvozdyk and Morrell were able to find openings at 175, a naturally bigger champion like Ramirez would have the stamina to ignore the “Monsters” volume and land more counter punches.
Ramirez thrives when he can apply his reach to keep opponents on the receiving end of his punches. The gigantic question is: Will Ramirez be able to move enough to actually stay out of the line of fire? Since moving up to cruiserweight, his footwork and ability to turn opponents around has been surprisingly excellent.
In his victories over Arsene Goulamirian and Chris Billam-Smith, he used his 180 cm frame to reset the distance each time the situation became more arduous. However, David Benavidez is a completely different animal than Billam-Smith.
While Ramirez’s moves looked great against fighters attacking in a straight line, Benavidez is a master at cutting down the ring and throwing combinations that catch fighters even as they try to move away.
Ramirez tried to apply the move in his match against Dmitry Bivol at 175 pounds and we saw how it went. He was unable to maintain the technical rhythm and ultimately lost by clear decision. Benavidez isn’t as trim as Bivol, but his pressure is much more physically taxing.
“Because before this fight, I would love to fight George Kambosos,” Vargas told Sean Zittel when discussing potential opponents after the Mills fight.
Emiliano stressed that his focus remains on Mills, but made it clear that he believes he is getting closer to the title.
“I’m going to show the world that I’m ready to fight for the title,” Vargas said.
The son of former two-time world champion Fernando Vargas believes that a good performance on the Jaron Ennis-Xander Zayas card can give him significant progress in the competition.
“After this fight, I would love to have a title eliminator or former world champion,” Emiliano said. “I’m second in the WBO rankings, 12th in the WBC. I’m there and I’m knocking on that door.”
Vargas comes into the fight off a win over Agustin Quintana in February. While this performance sparked debate among some fans, Emiliano considers the innings he saved as valuable experience in continuing to develop his game.
The undefeated fighter claims that during the last camps he expanded his training team and worked intensively on movement, angles and fighting under pressure. He also recently spent time in David Benavidez’s camp, drawing inspiration from the former world champion’s work ethic and aggressive style.
If Emiliano beats Mills on Saturday, attention will quickly turn to who will be next. From his comments, Kambosos is at the top of the list.
Kambosos, a former unified lightweight champion, would represent the most recognizable name of Vargas’ career and potentially take him one step closer to the title eliminator he thinks he wants next.
Boxing
Gervonta Davis is currently fighting to return to one of the biggest fights in American boxing: “His team reached out”
Boxing
Devin Haney says Gervonta Davis’ team has made contact and declines to discuss the hydration clause
Devin Haney says that after years of calls for a fight, a fight with Gervonta Davis may finally be closer to reality.
Haney revealed on social media that Tank Davis’ team recently reached out about a potential fight. When the fan responded by warning him not to agree to any hydration restrictions, Haney quickly dismissed the idea.
“Never,” Haney repeated X about not wanting to agree to the rehydration clause.
The response came shortly after Haney suggested that discussions had begun between the two sides.
“I think Gervonta has gained some balls. His team has reached! We can just fight! 😅– Haney wrote.
The fight between Haney and Gervonta is one of the longest unanswered questions in boxing. Haney continued to fight multiple times during his lightweight title fight, but the fight never materialized despite years of public calls and fan demands.
San Francisco-born Haney became the undisputed lightweight champion in 2022, and Davis continued to build his profile as one of boxing’s biggest pay-per-view attractions.
Haney’s rejection of rehydration clauses will likely become a talking point if negotiations move forward. Hydration restrictions became a major topic of debate ahead of Tank’s 2023 fight with Ryan Garcia, with many fans criticizing the terms of the deal.
Devin has recently been linked to potential fights against Ryan Garcia, Shakur Stevenson and Keyshawn Davis. His latest comments put Gervonta Davis back into the conversation after years of failed attempts to make the fight happen.
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Last updated: 22/06/2026 at 17:07
Emiliano Vargas targets fight with George Kambosos after Bryce Mills fight
Gervonta Davis is currently fighting to return to one of the biggest fights in American boxing: “His team reached out”
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