James Toney, the retired super-middleweight champion, thinks he's got David Benavidez's number. The former three-weight world champ claims he'd knock out the current top fighter in a hypothetical matchup.
Benavidez, known as "The Mexican Monster" (a nickname given by Mike Tyson), has made a name for himself with his aggressive, come-forward style and relentless work rate. At 27, he's racked up an impressive record of 29 fights with 24 knockouts. Despite this, he's had to move up to light-heavyweight to chase gold after unsuccessful attempts to fight Canelo Alvarez.
Canelo, who currently holds three belts at 168 lbs, has avoided a fight with Benavidez, even putting a $200 million price tag on it. This has left Benavidez looking for other opportunities, despite being one of the most feared fighters in the sport.
Toney shared his thoughts on a potential matchup with Benavidez in an interview with The Parry. He didn't mince words:
"I love Benavidez but you know what? Lights out baby! He's perfectly made for me. If he wants to come and attack then I'm going to attack to, if he's going to punch then I'm going to punch. Fighters these days wait for people to do things, if he's going to punch then I'm going to punch, that's exactly how I fought,"
Toney's confidence comes from a storied career. He won the IBF super-middleweight title against Iran Barkley in 1993 and defended it three times. His most notable loss came against Roy Jones Jr. in a significant fight where Jones won by unanimous decision and became the first to put Toney on the canvas.
While Benavidez isn't known for one-punch knockout power, his impressive stoppage record comes from his high output. As he continues to chase a world title shot, Toney's comments add an interesting perspective to the conversation about Benavidez's place in boxing history.
