By Norm Frauenheim-
PHOENIX – More than three years, 37 months and counting, have come, gone and almost been forgotten since Jose Benavidez Jr. answered an opening bell.
He learned how to be a dad. He has a young daughter and his wife is expecting another child in February. He learned how to live like just another guy. There was no roadwork at sunrise. Holidays were spent at home and at the dinner table instead of at a gym decorated by only bags and bruises.
Benavidez learned to like it.
At least, most of it.
But he couldn’t quite learn how to live without that old regimen. He grew up to the rhythm of a speed bag. He missed it, all of it during the days, weeks, months and years since he fought fearlessly against Terence Crawford, perhaps the game’s most feared fighter.
It was an intriguing fight then. Now, it’s a memorable one, a significant fight remembered for what it still says about Crawford’s pound-for-pound aspirations as he prepares for a key test against Shawn Porter. It’s memorable, too, for what it still says about Jose Benavidez Jr.
The bold swagger is still there, impossible to contain. You can hear it in his words and see it in dark eyes that flash like a spark off flint.
All that and more were evident Thursday at a news conference for Jose Jr.’s comeback at junior-middleweight against Argentine Francisco Torres in Showtime-televised card (6 p.mp PT/9 pm ET) featuring brother David Benavidez-versus-Kyrone Davis on the Phoenix Suns home floor at Footprint Center.
The brothers are there to make a statement. For David, it’s about a fight that says he belongs at the front of the line for a shot at Canelo Alvarez. For Jose Jr., it’s a fight to say he’s back.
In a sport that has seen and done it all, thirty-seven idle months are expected to leave so-called rust on much, if not all, of the skillset. We’ll see. But there was no rust or reticence in Jose Jr.’s willingness to engage in some familiar trash talk. The words and the look were as fearless as ever.
“I feel like I’m a different animal now,’’ Jose Jr. said as he looked at Torres. “When I say I’m going to do something, I do it. He better not run on Saturday. I’m coming to break his ribs with body shots.
“I don’t care how busy he’s been. He’s never seen anyone with power like mine. You better be ready for Saturday night.
“He’s a bum just like the bums that he’s fought. I’m back to take this clown out and show everyone that I’m going to be the next 154-pound world champion.’’
Moments later, he would stand in front of Torres in the ritual face-off for the cameras. All the while, a media consultant for PBC (Premier Boxing Champions) said: “Easy, easy.’’
Three-plus years away from the ring have done nothing to dull Jose’s mind set. It’s still got that fearless edge. It was there on Oct. 12, 2018 in Omaha, Neb., at the weigh-in before the bout with Crawford. Jose Jr. shoved Crawford. Crawford countered with a missile-like, bare-handed punch that narrowly missed Benavidez’ jaw.
“I thought maybe he was trying kiss me or something,’’ Benavidez said then.
Let’s just say that Crawford’s attempted punch was not motivated by affection. Hostility at the weigh-in led to Omaha police adding further officers to its presence both in and outside the ring. There was tension evident in the capacity crowd, which gathered to watch the hometown Crawford punish Benavidez. But Benavidez wasn’t intimidated. Crawford stopped him, but not until midway through the 12th and final round.
Benavidez didn’t win. But there was – still is — talk that maybe he could have. He took Crawford into the 12th, limping on his right leg. He kneecap was blown way in a still mysterious shooting on a Phoenix canal bank in August 2016.
“The knee is fine,’’ he said Thursday. “It’s 100 percent. One-hundred-and-ten percent.’’
Nothing wrong with that fearlessness, either.
A day before the news conference, Jose Benavidez Jr. was reminded of the Crawford fight. In a zoom call Wednesday, Porter said he has been studying video of the fight in training for his Nov. 20 date against Crawford at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay.
“You could see that Jose had boxing abilities that gave Terence problems,’’ Porter said.
Then, Porter added: “I’ve got everything Jose has got and maybe a little bit more.’’
Porter’s comment seemed to be a nod a respect for Benavidez. When told of the quote, Jose Jr.’ eyes flashed the way they would at Thursday’s face-off with Torres.
“I used to kick Porter’s ass when I was 16-year-old sparring with him,’’ Benavidez said. “Terence Crawford is going to kick his ass. After he does, I’ll be happy to.’’
No rust on the rhetoric.Attachments area
