FOX will have one of the best boxing PPV events of 2019 this Saturday, September 28, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Errol Spence Jr. and Shawn Porter will square off in a fight to partially unify the welterweight division in the main event, and the primary undercard will feature a long-awaited super middleweight bout between David Benavidez (21-0, 18 KOs) and Anthony Dirrell (33-1-1, 24 KOs). This fight will be for the WBC super middleweight title.
Boxing Odds at Bookmaker.eu
Anthony Dirrell +532
David Benavidez -744
Over/Under Rounds – Check Back Later
You don’t often see a challenger as such a prohibitive favorite per the boxing betting odds, but there is a lot of buzz surrounding David Benavidez. The 22-year-old has taken the super middleweight division by storm, and he has already won the strap once in his short career.
Benavidez turned pro at the age of 17, and he wasted no time laying waste to the competition. He gained a reputation as a hard-hitting knockout artist by sending 17 of his first 18 foes to the canvas, and Benavidez knocked out 12 of his first 14 opponents in the first two rounds. After dominating performances like that, Benavidez was given a title shot at the ripe age of 20.
He squared off against Romanian Ronald Gavril for the vacant WBC super middleweight title in Nevada in September 2017. Gavril proved to be his toughest foe yet, but Benavidez eventually won by split decision although he was knocked down in the 12th round. That set up a rematch with Gavril four months later, and Benavidez was much better prepared after taking on his opponent once. He won all 12 rounds against Gavril establishing himself as a premier fighter.
Benavidez was set to fight Anthony Dirrell for the title last year, but the fight was cancelled after Benavidez tested positive for cocaine. That led his title being taken away, and he was slapped with a four-month suspension for the failed drug test. He didn’t return to the ring until earlier this year when he beat J’Leon Love by TKO in the second round.
Anthony Dirrell will turn 35 next month, and he has had an accomplished career. He overcame a two-year absence after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2007 to become one of the top super middleweights in the world, and he improved his record to 26-0 before finally receiving his first major title fight in December 2013.
Dirrell fought Sakio Bika to a draw, earning a rematch eight months later. The second time they squared off proved decisive though as Dirrell beat Bika by unanimous decision in 12 rounds. Dirrell’s first title defense proved unsuccessful, as he lost by majority decision to Badou Jack, but he won five straight fights to get another crack at the title. In February, he stopped Avni Yildrim in the 10th round to win the vacant WBC super middleweight strap.
Fight Preview
Benavidez told the media that he wanted to knock Dirrell out earlier this week, saying that: “Also what gives me a lot of confidence is knowing that Anthony Dirrell hasn’t been stopped. Knowing that nobody has knocked him out. So I want to push myself to the absolute limit and do something that not everyone has done. Anthony Dirrell has never been hurt he’s never been knocked out. So imagine what that’s going to do for my confidence if I’m the only one who knocks Anthony Dirrell out, if I knocked him out in this fight, that’s what just keeps me going because I know I can. I know whoever I put my hands on I can hurt. It doesn’t matter who it is and I can do it a variety of ways. I can do it from body shots, I can do it from head shots, I can do it from liver shots, I can do everything.”
Dirrell had this to say about his opponent: “I think he’s a good fighter, but the toughest I don’t know. I haven’t been in there with him. Styles make fights. You can only say how the guy is if you’ve been in there. But he’s a tough guy. He’s a tough kid, and he’s 22 years old. And, He’s going in there to take what’s mine and I got to defend my title of course, and I’ll be successful doing that.”
Boxing Betting Tips
This should be a great fight. Benavidez is an extremely talented young boxer who could become a generational fighter. Dirrell figures to be his toughest opponent to date, and he will give Benavidez a real test. I think Dirrell has a decent chance of pulling off the upset, so he is worth a play at these long odds.
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With the boxing odds at BookMaker Sportsbook, you can bet on boxing all year, from smaller cards to pay-per-view events. Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook. Anthony Dirrell vs. David Benavidez takes place on September 14, 2019 at T-Mobile Arena. The fight can be seen on ESPN Plus.
