Jose Benavidez Jr. Headlines His Homecoming

By Ryan Maquiñana
MaxBoxing.com

Year two in the career of 19-year-old Jose Benavidez Jr. has been a little different than his first.

This time last year, the prodigious junior welterweight was hailed as the youngest fighter to ever win the National Golden Gloves. His pro career began with a trial by fire when he held his own as a sparring partner for Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan at Hollywood’s Wild Card Gym. The Phoenix native’s extraordinary offensive arsenal and puzzle of a nearly six-foot frame prompted trainer Freddie Roach to call him “the best prospect in the world.”

After stopping each of his nine opponents in 2010, however, a few things happened in the months to follow. An uncharacteristically lackluster performance against Fernando Rodriguez in January, where Benavidez was taken the distance for the first time, brought on qualms that his development has slowed since Roach and his father, Jose Sr., decided to part ways.

However, “Junior” reestablished himself as a force when under the tutelage of his father, he scored an impressive fifth round TKO of James Hope on the Manny Pacquiao-Shane Mosley undercard last month. He looks to do more of the same this Saturday when he headlines his first event against Corey Alarcon, 14-17-1 (4), at the Wild Horse Casino in Chandler, Ariz. The contracted weight is 143-144 pounds.

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