In every sport ever played at a professional level, there have been prodigy type players. These phenoms rarely pan out, but when they do, it usually changes the course of that sport forever and for the better. LeBron James (NBA) and Bryce Harper (MLB) are the two most notable phenom-type players of the last decade. These two athletes have a well-documented story that highlights the fact they were highly anticipated players coming into their respective leagues. Both men had a tremendous amount of hype long before they even played a professional game and that’s what makes them the “prodigy” type player.
Enter Jose Benavidez Jr., boxing’s answer to LeBron James and a talent that can mirror the perception of Washington National’s Bryce Harper. Many believe boxing prospects are far and few between, but that’s not the case. The issue is legitimate boxing prospects that find success. Sometimes we get that “next great star,” but they usually fail to meet expectations.
Some of the guys on the horizon as of now are fairly well put together prospects with the most promising of potential. Guys like Adrien Broner are in the process of reaching star level success with the potential to reach superstardom one day. Other prospects like Shawn Porter and Keith Thurman still have some proving to do, but their opportunities are forth coming and they both have made a decent imprint on fans in the last couple of weeks.
Jose Benavidez Jr. is on a different stratosphere from every prospect thus far. He is that guy that everyone assumes will have no trouble winning a world title one day and can possibly reach that superstardom level. He has been co-signed by the trainer of stars Freddie Roach and some have called this blue chip prospect a boxing prodigy. He is signed with Top Rank and is considered one of their top future talents.
Benavidez (15-0) began his professional career at age 17, making him the youngest fighter in Las Vegas history to obtain a boxing license. Benavidez, now 20 years old, will take on Javier Loya this Saturday as part of a televised card on Telefutura that also includes fellow Top Rank stable mates Diego Magdaleno (in the main event) and Mike Lee.
When Benavidez spoke with Thaboxingvoice.com he mentioned that getting to this point hasn’t been easy. Benavidez has had to sacrifice many things and he maintained a very dedicated work ethic since his early start in the sport of boxing.
“All I did was train; I didn’t really go out and play with friends. I’d run in the morning, go to school and come home, then train and go to sleep and do it all again in the morning,” Benavidez said.
The fact that Benavidez began his career at the tender age of 17 meant that he didn’t get to experience the Olympic Games, although he did have an outstanding amateur career and even became the youngest fighter to win the Golden Gloves at the age of 16. However, I was curious whether or not Benavidez felt that he missed out on anything by turning pro so early and if the transition to the pros was difficult.
“Honestly I don’t feel [like I missed out]. I’d rather fight professional, I got signed when I was 17 and to me everything happens for a reason. I was getting tired of the computer scoring. I don’t regret anything; it would’ve been nice to go to the Olympics. The ultimate goal was to fight for a world championship and I’m working hard to get to that point,” Benavidez said.
“They’re different worlds, when I was 13 my dad [began transitioning] me to the pros.”
It would probably have been difficult for many fighters to turn pro at 17, and I’m not even talking about the in ring problems because just being sanctioned would be a daunting task. That’s what separates other fighters and Benavidez- who played down the accomplishment by using the kind of reasoning that suggests opportunity of circumstance as opposed to his vast skill set from his teenaged peers at that time.
“They let me turn pro because I had won a couple of national titles and what helped me a lot was I won Golden Gloves at age 16, being the youngest to win it. They saw I was fighting guys that were older and they gave me a chance to turn pro.”
What’s even more impressive is Benavidez signing to the power house Top Rank before he even had a pro fight. Benavidez said, “That’s why I feel the Olympics didn’t matter as much because I got the chance to work with pros like Khan. Just being signed to Top Rank, one of the best promotions in the world, it was a great feeling.”
However, I’m not sure if all of this hype is fair to Benavidez? Is it fair to put added pressure on a competitor that competes in a sport that already demands so much? Probably not, but Benavidez insists that he stays grounded and although he appreciates the sentiments surrounding his career, he insists that he isn’t consumed by it.
“I’m happy people talk about me in a good way. It motivates me more and it makes me want to train harder. Hopefully, one day I can be that world champion and prove my fans right. When I go into a fight I block everything out, my focus is inside the ring because that’s what my Dad taught me.”
Benavidez then discussed his training situation and his relationship with his Father and Freddie Roach.
“Everyone goes to the Wild Card wanting to train with Freddy, but he is very busy with Khan, Chavez Jr. and Pacquiao, it felt great to hear him say those things about me.”
“My Dad has always been my trainer ever since I started boxing. When I came to Wild Card my Dad was still my trainer, Freddie would help me here and there but my Dad has always been my main trainer.”
So when does Benavidez think he’ll be ready to make the eventual leap up in competition? The fact that he’s still so young means that his body will continue to grow into itself, meaning his current run at 147lbs could have a short lifespan.
“It’s something that I can’t really say right now, I’m not trying to rush things because if you rush then it doesn’t come out right. I’m still young and I have a long way to go, I’m just taking my time. I don’t see me being a top 10 guy anytime soon because I’m going to take my time and do this the right way. I’m still growing, I used to fight at 140 and now I’m fighting 144-147. I just want to keep training and see how my body fills out. I think I could eventually settle at 154lbs.”
Fighters at this stage usually use this time in their career to grow mentally and physically, but it is also important to make sure you look good. However, it is important for fighters to find a balance between fighting smart and looing impressive. Benavidez believes he has a good handle on things,” Benavidez said.
“I’m just focused on getting the job done; if you try to go out there and knock everyone out it won’t work like that. I’m just focused on winning and trying to look good, at the same time giving the fans what they want. I’m not the kind of guy who is going to call people out and say I’m going to knock them out. When I fight I try to focus on what my Dad has showed me and the fight plan we came up with for the opponent. To me no guy is easy because even if you fight the worst fighter he could catch you with a shot that could change the whole fight. I don’t take any fight lightly, he could be really old or have the ugliest style, but one punch could change the fight. I’m never going to underestimate any fighter because I’ve seen that happen plenty of times.”
