“I don’t feel like he’s true super middle,” said Benavidez of Plant. “I think he weighs 170 walking around. Once he gets in with a tough fighter like me, he won’t be able to keep me off of him. All I need is one punch and I don’t think he’d be able to keep me from landing it for 12 rounds. He’s a good boxer, but it’s a fight and I’m the bigger guy naturally and I hit a lot harder. That’s a fight we can make happen in a heartbeat.
A win over Smith or Plant, said Benavidez, would pave the way for his ultimate showdown.
“And then you have (multi-time world champion Saul) Canelo (Alvarez), the big dog. That’s my main goal right now. I want to be great in my sport and be the best of my generation. Beating him would take me a long way toward that. That’s what keeps me working hard every day. All I have to do is stay on track and I will make it all happen.”
To every bad experience, there is a positive side and Benavidez says he’s a much better fighter for having gone through all of it.
“The positive of all of it is the experience I gained. You can’t teach experience. I’ve had a lot of big fights and been in the spotlight and I’ve been on the sidelines having lost it all. You have to live through that yourself and be in those circumstances to know how important it is to do the right things.”
Benavidez’s promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz, says he’s proud of the young champion’s ability to come back from adversity.
“It was a hard time when he got suspended,” said Lewkowicz. “As a team we all had to pull together and make a plan to come back better than ever and now here we are, stronger and wiser than before. David has a long, historic career in front of him and I’m honored to be helping him achieve it.”
Related
