Jim Lampley was impressed with David Benavidez’s win over David Morrell last Saturday night. He thinks ‘The Mexican Monster’ would stand a better chance of defeating undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev than Dmitry Bivol next.
Lampley feels that Bivol’s “multiple skills” would make it a more difficult match for Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) compared to the knockout artist Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs).
The Beterbiev Matchup
Although he didn’t explain why Artur would be the easier option, he may believe Benavidez’s volume punching and hand speed would be too much for the slower, heavy-handed four-belt champion. It’s a fight that Benavidez can win if he can handle Artur Beterbiev’s power on the inside and his counter-punching.
Many boxing fans on social believe that Benavidez’s performance against Morrell, getting hurt several times and being knocked down, would make him vulnerable to the hard shots from Beterbiev. He would be in Benavidez’s face the entire fight and wouldn’t take breaks as Morrell did.
Beterbiev would fight Benavidez the same way he did the power-puncher Callum Smith by pressuring him nonstop to break him. Smith is a bigger puncher than Benavidez with either hand, and Beterbiev knocked him out in the seventh round last year on January 13th.
Lampley’s View
“I think Beterbiev is the more likely opponent for him to beat,” said Jim Lampley to Fight Hub TV when asked who David Benavidez has a better chance of beating between these two: Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
“I think Bivol, because of his multiple skills and his boxing craft, is a little bit more different equation. I think they’re a little bit bigger than David, but I wouldn’t rule out David beating either or both.”
Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) may be the one Benavidez faces next, not Beterbiev. Bivol has an excellent chance of using his speed to defeat Beterbiev, 40, in their rematch on February 22nd. Turki Al-Sheikh has already said he would want the Benavidez-Morrell winner to challenge Bivol or Artur next.
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