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.
Boxing
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LIVE COVERAGE
World Boxing News provides live results and updates from George Liddard’s European middleweight title clash with Dario Morello at the Copper Box Arena in London.
The undefeated Liddard faces the biggest test of his career against experienced Italian Morello, with the vacant European middleweight championship on the line.
Three other vacant titles will be decided on the card as Jimmy Sains, Emmanuel Buttigieg and Tiah Mai Ayton attempt to take the next step in their careers.
Live Scorecard –George Liddard vs. Dario Morello
Live Results
Times are local BST
19:45
Tiah Mai Ayton won the vacant Commonwealth featherweight title in a solid display against Ellie Hellewell. The Hellewell corner called off the fight after six completed rounds as Ayton made it seven straight wins as a pro and pushed towards world honors.
18:52
Connor Mitchell gets four useful rounds under his belt with a 39-37 points victory over Caine Singh.
Singh made him work for it, but the all-action Mitchell did enough to get his hand raised.
18:16
Louie Ward moved to 3-0 with a dominant performance, stopping Jon Martinez in the third round.
Ward was in control throughout before forcing the finish to secure another impressive victory.
17:42
Ioan Croft dropped Tomas Reynoso early on before seeing out a sixth round victory. The referee waved the fight off with just over a minute left of the round.
17:10
Harley Burrows opened the show with a first round stoppage of Carlos Ronner. Burrows pinned Ronner on the ropes and waded in until the referee halted the contest.
TV Coverage and Remaining Bouts
United Kingdom: DAZN
- George Liddard vs. Dario Morello – Vacant European Middleweight Title (12)
- Jimmy Sains vs. Tom Cowling – Vacant Commonwealth Middleweight Title (12)
- Emmanuel Buttigieg vs. P A Gordon – Vacant English Middleweight Title (10)
Preview
Liddard enters his first European title fight with a perfect 14-0 record as the 24-year-old attempts to continue his rapid rise through the middleweight division.
Morello brings considerably more experience at 26-1 and arrives in London undefeated since 2019.
The event takes place at the Copper Box Arena in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing promoting the card.
About the Author
Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.
Read Phil Jay’s full bio and latest stories.
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