David Benavidez Misses Weight, Loses 168 Lb. Title On the Scale

Boxing in the best of times is a complicated sport. And during the coronavirus pandemic era? Forget it…

Glitches are to be expected, but they still sting. Like the scale fail by David Benavidez today; the 168 pound champion hit 170.8 when he stepped on the scale in Connecticut.

The Arizona native, now based out of Seattle, didn’t look ripped and ready as he took to the scale and sure enough, he was over, for his clash against Alexis Angulo (167.6) at the Mohegan Sun Casino.

Benavidez, should he read the writing on the wall, and move up to 175? Him and Angulo wrestle with the belt at the weigh in, but David lost the title on the scale. Photo by Amanda Westcott for Showtime

The 23 year old lost his title on the scale, and he wasn’t going to try and get extra time to lose the extra weight. Angulo, if he wins, will snag that WBC crown. This fight will be the featured attraction on a Showtime “bubble” card.

The fail felt like a shocker, because it seemed like Benavidez was on message as a professional. He moved to Seattle, telling media that he wanted to get to place where there 2. He’d had to look into his soul when he tested positive for cocaine in his system back in the fall of 2018, and has dealt with that blowback in mature fashion. He held the ‘BC belt then, and gave it up for that transgression.

The boxer spoke to Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell during the weigh in webcast after the miss. “I’m very disappointed,” he said, looking glum. “Obviously, this is my first time missing weight. Like I said, I’m very disappointed, losing my title on the scale. But I still got a job to do tomorrow, I’m still gonna win the fight tomorrow.”

He blamed himself, fully, and said the last three pounds wouldn’t come off. “I was only able to go to the gym an hour a day here (in Connecticut),” he said, and he also would have liked to have access to a sauna. He worked out last night, and said he was “dry as a bone.” Even in a sauna suit, he wasn’t sweating enough to carve down to 168. He admitted he didn’t think things all the way through, that he wouldn’t have access to weight loss aids that he normally enjoyed.

The boxer said he will have extra fire and use his frustration to good effect in the ring versus Angulo. “It’s gonna be a very brutal fight tomorrow,” he said.

Here is the release Showtime sent out after the weigh in:

David Benavidez on losing his world title on the scale:

“I’m very disappointed. This is obviously my first time missing weight. Just very disappointed to lose the title on the scale, but I’m still going to win the fight tomorrow. I put the blame on myself. It’s just the last three pounds wouldn’t come off. Maybe not having the proper things I needed like no sauna. I was only able to go to the gym an hour a day since I got here. It’s just a couple of different things, but I still have a job to do tomorrow. Maybe later the opportunity will present itself, but I still have a fight to win.

“I didn’t think this all the way through. Coming in I thought I would have access to more, but I didn’t. Maybe this is a message to all the other fighters who have a little bit of trouble with their weight. It’s going to be hard to make the weight if you already have trouble. If you need a couple extra things like the gym or the sauna, you better come into the bubble already on weight. Because it’s very hard.”

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Saturday’s fights are presented by Premier Boxing Champions and promoted by TGB Promotions and Mayweather Promotions. The main event is promoted in association with Sampson Boxing and the Wallin-Kauffman bout is promoted in association with Salita Promotions and Kings Promotions.