Gvozdyk on Fight with Benavidez: "Date Not Confirmed"

In an interview with Sport Express, former light heavyweight world champion (up to 175 lbs) Oleksandr Gvozdyk (20-1, 16 KOs) discussed his preparations for the bout against WBC "interim" super middleweight champion (up to 168 lbs) David Benavidez (28-0, 24 KOs), providing insights on his opponent.

- Oleksandr, how are you doing, and have you started hitting the punching bag twice as hard, imagining David Benavidez's face?

- Let's jump straight into specifics. This June 15th date is not confirmed. This information has been circulating online for some time now, but the contract I signed had a different date. There were two base dates for the Las Vegas show, two weeks apart. One at the end of June, the other at the beginning of July. I won't specify the exact date. I don't believe that's the right thing to do. Not yet.

- Very interesting. Okay. The most important thing is that the fight is happening, and the opponent hasn't changed. Has camp started?

- The fight is still practically four months away. There's a lot of time left. No one conducts such extended camps. So, my team and I haven't started targeted preparation yet. Though I train every day, regardless of when my fight is scheduled. Sometimes even twice a day.

Before I signed the contract for the fight against Benavidez, I was training intensively for about a month, including sparring, but now I've taken a small break. Specifically from sparring. Currently, we're focusing on the basics: running and working on improving overall conditions, so to speak.

I plan to start the full camp approximately two and a half months before the fight. Maybe in two, we'll see.

- What can you say about your opponent? David Benavidez, to put it mildly, is not a small guy. And definitely more accomplished than your last opponent, Isaac Rodriguez, whom you sent "to rest" in the second round.

- Exactly. It's no wonder Benavidez is called a monster in the boxing world. There are even talks suggesting that Saul "Canelo" Alvarez seems to be wary of him. Most likely, the latter statement is an exaggeration, but such conversations about David exist.

Benavidez is an extremely talented boxer, still undefeated, a two-time world champion in super middleweight. His achievements speak for themselves. For me, the fight against Benavidez is indeed a significant challenge.

Comparing Benavidez and Isaac Rodriguez, well, you understand, it’s quite laughable. You could compare him with Artur Beterbiev. Benavidez is genuinely a top-tier guy.

- David Benavidez is currently moving up one weight category – from super middleweight to light heavyweight. So, he's bulking up and gaining mass. How does this factor work to your advantage?

- Benavidez is very large, truly a "super middleweight," so... You know, I think he stayed in his previous weight class solely because of his desire to fight Canelo. Even moving up to the next weight category, Benavidez, I'm almost sure, will be bigger than me. David, I believe, if he wanted, could easily box even in cruiserweight.

So, there's no advantage for me in terms of weight.

Insider Fernando Sabatini previously reported that the fight between WBA lightweight champion (up to 135 lbs) Gervonta Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) and Frank Martin (18-0, 12 KOs) might take place on the undercard of Alexander Gvozdyk vs. David Benavidez. The show may occur on June 15th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, USA.