This year really is beginning to look as though it might be remembered (or perhaps best forgotten) as the year of the postponed fight. To add to the bad news of Errol Spence being out of his massively intriguing showdown with Manny Pacquiao (this being bad news plenty of us are still coming to terms with, yet Manny himself has shown nothing but class), comes the news that David Benavidez is out of his August 28th fight with Jose Uzcategui, this is because Benavidez has unfortunately tested positive for Covid. Mike Coppinger broke the news (once again), via Twitter.
The Benavidez- Uzcategui fight was largely expected to have been an exciting fight, a slugfest, for as long as it lasted. Now that the fight is off (for now, the word is the fight will be rescheduled at a later date to be worked out) it makes the final five months of the year that much thinner – what with Pac-Spence off, no Canelo fight, and with some people having serious doubts when it comes to the three-match between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder actually going ahead as scheduled in Las Vegas on October 9.
The biggest fight of 2021 that is still set to go ahead without a hitch (as of right now!) is the September 25 heavyweight clash between defending WBA/IBF/WBO champ Anthony Joshua and former unified cruiserweight king Oleksandr Usyk. Let’s hope that fight does indeed go ahead with zero problems attached. How many more postponements, cancelled fights can a fight fan possibly stand in one go!
Above all, however, let’s hope Benavidez, 24-0(21) makes a full and speedy recovery. One of the best super-middleweights out there, 24 year old Benavidez was aiming to become the first man to stop the rough and tough Uzcategui, 31-4(26). That quest will have to wait, for now. Both Benavidez and Uzcategui are sure to be terribly disappointed over what has happened, so hard had they trained for the battle. And disappointed is a word we boxing fans seem to be using more and more just lately.
