Asked if a win over Gilberto Ramirez should start that conversation, Benavidez slowed it down without closing the door.
“Not yet. I will continue working my way up there. I know I can pull out greatness, but not yet,” said Benavidez to the media about not being ready for the Hall of Fame.
“That’s why I want to get all these big fights. I know I can beat all these fighters, but not yet.”
If Benavidez wants to be a Hall of Famer, he has to stop looking for aging icons and start looking at the monsters in their prime. Benavidez’s pressure, combination punching, and workrate have been enough so far, but those traits need to hold against elite fighters in their prime.
The real test of a Hall of Fame frame is taking on a prime Jai Opetaia or moving to heavyweight to face a young, dangerous lion like Moses Itauma.
Benavidez’s resume is still too thin for him to be taken seriously as a future Hall of Fame fighter. While this wins over Caleb Plant were solid, and David Morrell is a serious talent, neither of those wins carries the historical weight needed to punch a ticket to Canastota.
The hesitation to jump in with someone like Jai Opetaia is telling. Opetaia represents a level of technical danger and pure size at cruiserweight that would force Benavidez to prove he can handle a truly elite, naturally larger opponent.
Choosing Gilberto Ramirez instead feels like a move toward a belt that comes with less risk of a catastrophic loss.
If he wants to be viewed as a legend, he eventually has to stop taking the path of least resistance and start taking the fights where he isn’t the clear favorite.
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