Richard Torrez Jr Warns David Benavidez About Heavyweights

One-Shot Danger

“You really do got to be worried about one shot on the heavyweights,” said Torrez Jr. to Fight Hub TV. “Sometimes these guys will take and eat like three or four shots, just throw that one haymaker, heavy quitter, because it’ll just end the fight.”

Benavidez recently stopped Gilberto Ramirez to capture cruiserweight titles and continue his climb through multiple weight classes. The victory immediately created speculation about whether he could eventually test himself against heavyweights.

Torrez said fighters such as Benavidez and Ramirez have the skill level to move higher, but warned that heavyweight fights often become slower and more dangerous because opponents are willing to wait for one opening.

“In the 168-pound division, you don’t get a lot of guys that’ll just sit and wait seven rounds for one shot,” said Torrez. “Heavyweights are different like that.”

The unbeaten heavyweight contender also pointed to physical differences that become harder to deal with at heavyweight.

Bigger Men, Bigger Shots

“With Zurdo, he has really good back-and-forth skills, but then you get a guy that’s seven feet tall, it’s going to be a little harder to do that as well,” Torrez said.

Despite the warning, Torrez still believes elite fighters from the lower divisions can succeed if they decide to move up.

“If anyone can do it, I think all of them could do it,” said Torrez. “They’re unified champions and world champions in their own divisions.”

Torrez is preparing for his own major heavyweight test against Frank Sanchez on the May 23 card headlined by Oleksandr Usyk in Egypt.