benavidez decisions  GVOZDYK | BoxingInsider.com

By: Sean Crose

While he wasn’t able to land a fight with Canelo Alvarez, David Benavidez was able to earn himself the WBC interim light heavyweight title by besting the game veteran Oleksandr Gvozdyk in a dominating performance Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The 12 round match was the co-main event of the Gervonta Davis – Frank Martin pay per view card.

Gvozdyk came out aggressively in the first, but Benavidez was able to assert himself in the round. Benavidez proceeded to employ solid body work in the second. By the third round, it was clear that Benavidez was completely in control of the fight, as he was essentially landing at will on his man. Despite Gvozdyk starting the fourth aggressively, Benavidez was still able to land. While it was true Gvozdyk was game and not without skills, he continued to be dominated by the undefeated Benavidez in the fifth. Still, Gvozdyk continued trying to assert himself in the sixth – to little or not avail.

And while it was true Gvozdyk was able to land clean on Benavidez in the seventh, Benavidez continued to work effectively on his opponent. The eighth wasn’t particularly different from the previous seven rounds, as Benavidez was able to find his mark high and low. Gvozdyk was able to land well again in the ninth. Was it enough to win the round, though? Both men had moments in the tenth, but Benavidez was clearly the stronger of the two combatants. Gvozdyk continued to land in the eleventh, which was perhaps his best round.

The twelfth and final round was arguably close, but after the final bell sounded, it was Benavidez who was rewarded with a unanimous decision win courtesy of the judges.