Benavidez: I Just Don’t Like Crawford

Jose Benavidez Jr. is in for the fight of his life and the opportunity to produce one of boxing’s biggest upsets. On Oct. 13, Benavidez will challenge WBO Welterweight Champion Terence “Bud” Crawford in Crawford’s hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska.

But this fight may not have ever come to fruition because of a gunshot that nearly stole Benavidez’s career a couple of years ago. Benavidez was walking his dog and cat when an assailant shot him in the right leg from close range and left him to die. As Boxing Scene states, Benavidez’s right knee was damaged, more specifically the femoral artery.

“At first, the doctor said I wasn’t gonna walk for two years,” Benavidez said following Thursday’s final press conference for the fight. “And then, just seeing how everything was playing out, it wasn’t a good feeling. But I stayed strong, I had good people around me to motivate me. I went through that little downfall, and I came back stronger. So here we are — mentally stronger, physically stronger and smarter, more than anything.”

And it is that experience with the nearly fatal gunshot wound that has him unafraid of what might await against the three-division world champion — even if Crawford is listed as a 25-to-1 favorite.

If a bullet can’t stop me, he can’t stop me.

Benavidez also made mention of Crawford’s trash talking in the build-up to the fight, saying that Crawford’s success has come with taking opportunities against fighters who are smaller than him. He also feels Crawford is disrespectful of other fighters’ races.

“I just don’t like him, period,” Benavidez said. “He talks a lot of s**t. He’s talking about Hispanic people, Mexican people, and I don’t play that. I don’t like that. I don’t go racist. He’s over here throwing racial slurs. I just don’t like the fact that first he talks the big talk, and then he tries to act like he’s an innocent, nice guy, when that’s not the case. I’m here, I’m humble, I love all my fans, all my people, whether it’s Mexicans, whites, Hispanics, anything. I love them all.

To me, everyone’s the same. No one’s better than anyone else. But I just don’t like him. I don’t like him. And I’m gonna beat the f*** out of him Saturday.

Original Story: Boxing Scene