What happened
David Benavidez told Ariel Helwani he hurt every sparring partner he has faced and knew he could stop Zurdo Ramirez based on those sessions. Benavidez said he landed the same combinations in the fight that had hurt Zurdo in sparring. The remarks follow his stoppage win over Zurdo Ramirez.
Why it matters
The comments reinforce Benavidez's case as boxing's top super middleweight and feed his ongoing pursuit of a Canelo Alvarez fight. They also drew pushback online, with at least one reply calling the sparring boast distasteful. Benavidez has separately named himself among the top three pound-for-pound fighters.
What to watch
Watch for Benavidez's next opponent announcement and whether Canelo Alvarez responds to the renewed callout. Reaction from Zurdo Ramirez's camp to the sparring claims is also worth monitoring.
