“I had the Maserati, and when I was 17, I had two more,” Benavidez told The Arizona Daily Star. Nicknamed “Merciless,” Benavidez turned 18 on May 15, between first-round stoppages of Arnoldo Pachecho on May 8 and Ronnie Pearson on May 29.īenavidez’s fast start was in line with his penchant for fast vehicles. His 81-second TKO of Steve Cox representing the first of nine knockouts wins over an 11-month span. Jose Jr.’s sparring sessions against champions Manny Pacquiao, Shane Mosley, Amir Khan and Timothy Bradley were a catalyst to an amateur career during where he went 120-5, earned 11 national titles, a pair of Silver Glove championships, and qualified for both the Junior Olympics and the U.S National Team.Ī 17-year-old Benavidez debuted professionally in January 2010. “Since I was six years old, I’ve been dreaming of being a world champion.” “I got my inspiration from my Dad my family,” Jose Jr.
The father made mini pads for his son to punch. started doing morning road work when he was about two or three-years-old, according to Jose Sr. A post shared by josebenavidezjr Championship Dreams
