Benavidez: "I became who I am thanks to Golovkin"

Benavidez himself recently confirmed Sanchez's words: "I give him credit because it is thanks to Golovkin that I became the fighter I am today. I sparred with him when I was sixteen, and they were always real fights. He pushed me to a higher level. He hit hard, hit seriously, so I had to find ways and tricks to get past him. He made me learn more and improved my boxing IQ."

"I take my hat off to Golovkin. He is a great person and a great champion, both in and out of the ring. I learned a lot from him and owe him a lot," admitted Benavidez, a former two-time super middleweight world champion and current WBC light heavyweight champion, who is set to fight Gilberto Ramirez (48-1, 30 KO), the WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion, on May 2.