Monsters do exist. David Benavidez proved that on Saturday night when he forced Demetrius Andrade's corner to stop their main event showdown in Las Vegas because of the damage accrued over six rounds of action.
Benavidez, who previously held the WBC super middleweight crown, defended his interim strap with the TKO of Andrade, 35, and continued to deliver the kind of action many have expected of him at just 26 years old.
"I don't care who they keep putting in front of me, I'm just gonna keep knocking them down," Benavidez said after the fight.
Benavidez took a round or two to get going as Andrade put on a strong showing to start the contest with his defensive skill and distance management. But once he found his footing, there was no slowing down Benavidez. He scored a knockdown at the end of Round 4 that Andrade never seemed to fully recover from. Benavidez then clipped him with a perfect right hook on the chin that Andrade still seemed to be feeling the effects of throughout Round 5.
"I dipped his left hand and came over with a right that hit right on the button," Benavidez said. "I knew I had to keep the pressure on because I knew he wasn't going to keep taking those shots."
After enduring even more punishment in Round 6, the referee went to the corner and warned Andrade for a second time to fight back or he's going to end the fight. Andrade's corner made that decision for him as they said no more.
"I thought overall I did everything I needed to do to get the bigger man off me. David's definitely a hell of a fighter," Andrade said. "Nobody was even willing to get in the ring with him. I tried to become a three-division world champion. That's not far-fetched. David was the man tonight. Congratulations to him and his family. We move on, and we're going to keep pushing."
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With the win, the hope is to secure a showdown with undisputed super middleweight king Canelo Alvarez in 2024. This comes after years of calling for a fight with the Mexican champion. Now, that fight feels undeniable unless Alvarez moves weight classes once more.
"I think I just [solidified] myself as, you know, the dominant performer that I am and I think it was a reminder to let everyone know who the f--- the real champ is at 168," Benavidez said. "They want to see me vs. Canelo and that's what we want too. I'm the youngest super middleweight champion of the world, three-time world champion, now just give me the fight that we all want to see. Who wants to see David Benavidez vs. Canelo? Let's get it."
CBS Sports was with you throughout the entire way on Saturday with the live results and highlights below.
Fight card, results
- David Benavidez def. Demetrius Andrade via sixth-round TKO (corner stoppage)
- Jermall Charlo def. Jose Benavidez Jr. via unanimous decision (98-92, 99-91, 100-90)
- Subriel Matias (c) def. Shohjahon Ergashev via sixth-round TKO (corner stoppage)
- Lamont Roach def. Hector Luis Garcia (c) via split decision (114-113, 113-114, 114-116-111)
Benavidez vs. Andrade scorecard, live coverage
| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benavidez | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | TKO | | | 47 | ||||
| Andrade | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 9 | | | 47 |