Even coming off a near layoff of more than eighteen months, there are reasons to think former lineal Jr. welterweight champion Danny Garcia is making his Jr. middleweight debut in a mismatch on Saturday (Showtime, 9 PM EST).

That there is a glimmer of competitiveness to this fight says a lot about what people thought they saw. Early in his career, Jose Benavidez (the older brother of former super middleweight titlist David Benavidez) was touted as one of boxing’s brightest young lights. He had size, speed, power…

Benavidez had potential. 

A gunshot injury in 2016 derailed his career and, while Benavidez was able to secure a shot at a welterweight belt in 2018, it’s never got back on track. In his last outing, Benavidez returned from a three-year layoff and the time off didn’t look like it sharpened his tools. He squeaked out a debatable win over Francisco Torres and now steps up in an attempt to salvage a career.

Garcia will be attempting to extend his as he competes in his third weight class.   

Let’s get into it. 

Stats and Stakes

Danny Garcia

Age: 34

Title: None

Previous Titles: WBC super lightweight (2012-15, 5 Defenses); WBA/Ring super lightweight (2012-15, 4 Defenses); Lineal/TBRB Jr. welterweight (2013-15, 1 Defense); WBC welterweight (2016-17)

Height: 5’8

Weight: 152 ¾ lbs.

Stance: Orthodox

Hails from: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Record: 36-3, 21 KO

Press Rankings: #9 (ESPN)  

Record in Title Fights: 7-3, 2 KO

Last Five Opponents: 131-15-5 (.884)

Notable Outcomes, TBRB and/or Ring Rated Foes: Erik Morales UD12, KO4; Amir Khan TKO4; Zab Judah UD12; Lucas Matthysse UD12; Mauricio Herrera MD12; Lamont Peterson MD12; Robert Guerrero UD12; Keith Thurman L12; Shawn Porter L12; Errol Spence L12

Additional Current/Former Titlists Faced: Nate Campbell UD10; Kendall Holt SD12; Paulie Malignaggi TKO9; Brandon Rios TKO9

Vs.

Jose Benavidez Jr. 

Age: 30

Title/Previous Titles: None*

Height: 5’10 ½   

Weight: 153 ¾ lbs.

Stance: Orthodox

Hails from: Phoenix, Arizona

Record: 27-1-1, 18 KO

Press Rankings: Unranked

Record in Major Title Fights: 0-1, 1 KOBY (2-1, 1 KO, 1 KOBY including interim fights)

Last Five Opponents: 164-23-5 (.867)

Notable Outcomes, TBRB and/or Ring Rated Foes: Mauricio Herrera UD12; Terence Crawford TKO by 12

Additional Current/Former Titlists Faced: None

*Held WBA interim 2014-15 at 140 lbs.

The Pick: Potential is a funny thing. Benavidez showed glimpses of his early promise in the loss to Crawford, competing well for pockets of the fight before being knocked out. It was impressive considering his injured leg has never quite been the same for him. It was just a glimpse. Benavidez has never shown he can genuinely defeat someone at the elite levels of the professional sport. He still lost to Crawford and his next biggest step up was an iffy decision over Mauricio Herrera. 

That matters against a Garcia who has only lost to some of the very best. Garcia ironically also once had an even more questionable decision win over Herrera but the rest of his resume is volumes deeper than what Benavidez has in evidence. It doesn’t mean Benavidez can’t win. He’s taller, longer, can be more active, and has real pop. 

That said, the only evidence we have of what we are getting from Benavidez was in the Torres fight last year. Garcia is still too quick, too accurate with his counter left hook, and too savvy to lose to that fighter. The pick is Garcia by late stoppage.       

Additional Saturday Pick

Gary Antuanne Russell TKO Rances Barthelemy

Rold Picks 2022: 34-9

Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, a member of the International Boxing Research Organization, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com