Did David Benavidez Get ‘Ripped Off’ by Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez?

David Benavidez (31-0, 25 KOs) will face Gilberto Ramirez (48-1, 30 KOs) on Saturday. But it certainly isn’t the first time the duo faced each other. And to add a bit of spice, Benavidez announced that he was ripped off the last time they faced each other.

In conversation, Benavidez mentioned that he felt underpaid after sparring with Ramirez for an entire camp.

“I think out of all the champions I’ve sparred, I probably sparred Zurdo more than any of them. I started sparring him when I was 16, about to turn 17 and the last time I sparred him was 23. When he fought Arthur Abraham, I got him ready for that to fight for the belt,” he said. “Now that I think about it, I kind of got ripped off because I was sparring him the whole camp,12 rounds for like two months, and got like $3,000. I know I got ripped off because I pay my guys a thousand dollars a week.”

Benavidez and Ramirez sparred extensively during their time as training partners at the Hill Street Boxing Gym in Long Beach, CA, with reports noting they sparred when Benavidez was as young as 17. The most specific camp he refers to is when he helped Zurdo prepare for his world title fight against Arthur Abraham in April 2016.

And it was like basic light sparring over a few rounds, as he went on to say.

“I sparred him a lot, probably like around 300 rounds, something like that,” Benavidez said. “But the thing about me is when I spar someone, that knowledge always stays with me. Obviously, he’s gotten better and became champion. But I think he was faster back then. The movements I remember.”

“Going To Capitalize”

However, all this might have benefited Benavidez in a way. ‘El Bandera Roja’ announced that he is planning to make use of everything that he learned about his opponent in their upcoming fight.

“That’s going to be enough for me. I’m definitely going to capitalize on a lot of stuff and also the stuff I’ve been working on now, a lot more than I did six years ago. So, it’s just all the stuff I remember from back then, all the stuff I’m studying now, and all the stuff I’m learning, and I think I’m going to be levels above this guy,” he said.

Joshua Ben Joseph

Joshua Ben Joseph is a Boxing writer renowned for his unparalleled coverage of live events and insightful interviews with prominent athletes in the world of combat sports. With a career spanning over several years, he has authored more than 800 articles. As an experienced editorial cartoonist and investigative journalist, Joshua has a keen eye for detail and a passion for delivering quality content. Aside from his writing, Joshua is an avid powerlifter and solo traveler, embodying the same spirit of determination and exploration that he brings to his work. With a deep love for the sport of boxing that dates back to childhood, he is committed to delivering the highest quality content and helping to build a more transparent and credible industry.

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