There was a certain buzz about junior welterweight prospect Jose Benavidez Jr. even before he fought his first professional bout. An eleven-time national champion his native Phoenix, Arizona, Benavidez was signed by Top Rank Promotions without any Olympic experience or a single fight under his belt at the time just days before his first fight in January of last year.
I connected with Benavidez shortly after his pro debut, a first round starching of Steven Cox inside of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, and I could tell instantly that the 17-year old was very down to earth in his ways. I made sure to keep track of his progress throughout the year and he didn’t disappoint.
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Benavidez’s 2010 campaign was highlighted by crowd pleasing knockouts throughout the Vegas area, heightened exposure, and an undercard appearance on the November Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito undercard portion. Benavidez was getting great sparring at the time as he was training out of the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles and his polished skill set and killer instinct beguiled his age.
Despite parting ways with Freddie Roach and the Wild Card later in the year, Benavidez’s potential is still undeniable and his talent was on display this past weekend as he returned home to his native Arizona with a showcase in the city of Chandler inside of the Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino.
Once again he didn’t disappoint, halting Denver’s Corey Alarcon in dominant fashion. Benavidez took his time in the first before getting on track by unloading a stinging right hand that registered his first knockdown in round number two. Alarcon was awkward and tried to make a fight out of it but the late-sub was no match, eventually crumpling to the deck twice more in the fourth before referee Robert Ferrara mercifully called a halt to the action.
With the win Benavidez sees his ledger rise to 11-0 with 10 knockouts. Photo journalist Chris Cozzone was on the scene last night and informed us that the budding star will be dividing his time between appearances on the road as well as more stops in Arizona in an effort to build up more interest in the local scene.
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