David Benavidez and Demetrius Andrade headlined a captivating fight card at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas on November 25th, delivering a thrilling conclusion as Benavidez stopped Andrade to retain his WBC interim super middleweight title. This victory further solidified Benavidez as a leading contender in the super middleweight division. In addition to Benavidez’s triumph, Jermall Charlo made a triumphant return after a two-year hiatus, and Subriel Matias maintained his perfect knockout ratio by stopping another undefeated opponent.
The clash between David Benavidez (28-0, 24 KO’s) and Demetrius Andrade (32-1, 19 KO’s) held significant implications for the super middleweight division, with both fighters vying to be the next challenger for Canelo Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KO’s). The match presented varying stakes for the fighters, with Andrade’s age making a loss a potential threat to his career, while Benavidez sought to solidify his path to becoming a world champion.
Benavidez faced a ferocious assault from Andrade in the early rounds, with Andrade surprising observers by outboxing and pressuring the younger and larger Benavidez. Benavidez, relying on his high guard, initially appeared tentative, strategically conserving energy. This approach proved effective, as by the third round, Benavidez capitalized on Andrade’s expended energy, turning the tide with damaging punches.
The fourth round saw a significant shift as Benavidez knocked Andrade down, coinciding with Andrade’s diminished effectiveness due to apparent fitness concerns. Subsequent rounds showcased Benavidez’s dominance, with Andrade unable to mount a substantial defense. The match concluded in the sixth round, with Andrade struggling to stand, prompting the referee to stop the fight during the break. Benavidez secured victory by technical knockout, retaining his WBC interim title.
Despite the career-defining nature of the win, doubts persist regarding Benavidez’s chances of challenging Canelo Alvarez for undisputed status. While Benavidez demonstrated his prowess and secured the #1 contender spot at 168 lbs, challenges from corrupt sanctioning bodies, particularly the WBC, hinder his path. The uncertainty of Benavidez getting an opportunity to face Alvarez underscores the pervasive corruption in the sport.
The PBC-promoted fight card also featured a catchweight bout between WBC middleweight Jermall Charlo (33-0, 22 KO’s) and Jose Benavidez Jr. (28-3-1, 19 KO’s), older brother of David Benavidez. Charlo, returning after a two-year absence, secured a unanimous decision victory despite missing weight. The concessions made for Charlo, coupled with post-match aspirations of fighting at super middleweight, raises questions about the fairness of opportunities in boxing.
Another noteworthy match was the super lightweight title clash between Subriel Matias (20-1, 20 KO’s) and Shohjahon Ergashev (23-1, 20 KO’s). Matias successfully defended his IBF title, securing a 6th-round victory by technical knockout. The fight echoed the main event, with Matias showcasing greater power and eventually overwhelming Ergashev to the point the referee stopped the bout before the seventh round could commence.
The card included a super featherweight title fight where Lamont Roach (24-1-1, 9 KO’s) narrowly defeated WBA champion Hector Luis Garcia (16-2, 10 KO’s), claiming the WBA super featherweight title by split decision. Additional results featured Dominican Michel Rivera’s (25-1, 14 KO’s) unanimous decision win over Sergey Lipinets (17-3-1, 13 KO’s) at super lightweight and Muhammadkhuja Yaqubov’s (21-1, 11 KO’s) unanimous decision victory against Pablo Vicente (23-2, 17 KO’s) in the super featherweight division. American featherweight prospect Curmel Moton (2-0, 2 KO’s) secured his second consecutive first-round stoppage victory by defeating Hunter Turbyfill (3-1, 1 KO’s).
