Boxing Wire

Tag: David Benavidez

  • Report: Munguia vs. Resendiz Set for Benavidez-Zurdo Undercard

    Report: Munguia vs. Resendiz Set for Benavidez-Zurdo Undercard

    The undercard of David Benavidez vs. Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez on May 2 may look different than initially reported. Veteran boxing journalist Dan Rafael said Tuesday that Jaime Munguia will face WBA super middleweight champion Jose Armando Resendiz (16-2, 11 KOs) on the undercard of the Cinco de Mayo weekend PPV — per a source directly involved — and that the deal wrapped up on Tuesday.

    The report directly contradicts an earlier ESPN story from the same day, which cited sources confirming that Jermall Charlo (34-0, 23 KOs) had been signed to challenge Resendiz on the card.

    The confusion reflects how fluid the situation around Resendiz’s first title defense has been. Munguia was originally the frontrunner for the fight, but BoxingScene reported last month that those talks collapsed after Munguia reportedly priced himself out. Charlo then emerged as the replacement option, with both fighters operating under the Premier Boxing Champions banner.

    If Rafael’s report holds, Munguia has since come back to the table and gotten a deal done — leapfrogging Charlo for the title shot at the eleventh hour.

    A Crowded Cinco de Mayo Card

    The main event features undefeated two-division world champion David Benavidez (31-0, 25 KOs) moving up to challenge unified WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion Zurdo Ramirez (48-1, 30 KOs) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, live on Prime Video.

    Oscar Duarte has also been confirmed on the undercard. The Resendiz title fight — whoever ends up in it — is expected to serve as the co-main event.

    As of Tuesday evening, neither PBC nor either fighter’s camp had issued an official announcement. This story will be updated as the situation is confirmed.

  • Mike Tyson: Benavidez Is “Being Done Dirty” by Boxing

    Mike Tyson: Benavidez Is “Being Done Dirty” by Boxing

    Mike Tyson has never been shy about speaking his mind on the sport of boxing, and in a recent interview with Ring Magazine’s Manouk Akopyan, Iron Mike delivered sharp verdicts on the current generation, the era debate, and who he believes is getting robbed by the sport’s power brokers.

    Benavidez Being Done Dirty

    The most passionate moment of the conversation came when Tyson was asked about David Benavidez, who has long been viewed as one of the most avoided fighters in boxing. Tyson didn’t hold back.

    “He’s being done dirty. Benavidez should have got some of those big fights. He hasn’t gotten no big fight. And that’s going to be something that he’s going to have over boxing — they didn’t give him the good fights. If he doesn’t get the money that he’s supposed to have after he finishes boxing, it’s because boxing screwed him. Not because he was too good — because he was too good and boxing didn’t want to give him a break. Those guys would strip guys of their titles. They didn’t want to fight him.”

    Benavidez has since moved up to cruiserweight, a division Tyson described bluntly:

    “Can I be sincere with you? In that division, nobody knows who the hell the champion is. Nobody.”

    The lack of name recognition at cruiserweight, Tyson suggested, only compounds the challenge Benavidez faces in finally getting the profile fight his talent deserves.

    Would Usyk Have Survived Tyson’s Era?

    Tyson also weighed in on how current heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk would have fared against the warriors of his generation — and he wasn’t entirely sold.

    “Holyfield would have gave him a great fight. That’s a different era. You got to kill those guys to beat them. You’re not just going to beat them by being… You got to kill them to beat them. It’s hard to beat these guys without getting a scratch on your face.”

    Tyson pointed to the sheer volume of title defenses as a key differentiator between eras.

    “We’re different fighters. The fighters of this era should see that and know that we’re different fighters. We were fighting four times a year, defending the title. These guys are defending their title two times, one time every two years.”

    Crawford Among the Four Kings?

    Asked whether Terence Crawford could have competed alongside Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns, and Marvin Hagler in their prime, Tyson offered measured praise.

    “There were people back then that weren’t as good a fighter as he was that were champion. He would have done well.”

    Tyson also named the fighters he most enjoys watching today: Shakur Stevenson, Keyshawn Davis, Crawford, Naoya Inoue, and Jermall Charlo all earned his stamp of approval.

    And despite a career built on ferocious rivalries, Tyson was quick to contextualize any harsh words he may have said about past opponents over the years.

    “Whatever I said about them — derogatory — was because I was fighting them. I have the highest amount of respect for those guys I fought.”

    Mike Tyson’s comments reflect both admiration for boxing’s past and concern for its present. Ultimately, his remarks underscore a broader point: boxing still has exceptional talent, but the sport must do a better job of delivering the big fights and opportunities that truly allow those fighters to define their legacies.