BOXING

How did David Benavidez get his nickname ‘The Red Flag’?

As we prepare for his fight against a very dangerous opponent this Saturday, we’re taking a look at the American and his infamous nickname: ‘The Red Flag.’

STEVE MARCUSAFP

As you probably know, David Benavidez is now just a day away from potentially making history. The fighter of Ecuadorian, Mexican, and American descent will face off against another American in the form of Demetrius Andrade which promises to be epic. Adding further spice to the mix is the fact that this fight could well be the pretext for a duel with Canelo Álvarez to fight for the title. In his career so far, it would be fair to say that Benavidez has earned the respect of the people, to the point of earning the nickname Red Flag. Find out here where that nickname comes from and who gave it to him.

David Benavidez is a very dangerous man

At 26 years old, David Benavidez has established himself as the rival to beat in boxing, as evidenced by his impressive record in the ring. From Phoenix, Arizona, he has amassed a record of 27 wins in 27 fights with 23 of them coming by way of knockout. As for his infamous nickname ‘Bandera Roja’, translated as ‘Red Flag’ in English, it comes from his ominous stat line, with analysts alluding to the idea that his aggression and subsequent record should warrant a red flag, something normally used to indicate danger.

Of course, when we consider Benavidez’s Mexican roots from his father’s side, it just makes sense. That’s no disrespect to his Ecuadorian genes from his mother, but we can all agree the ‘Tricolor’ has produced some of the greatest fighters in boxing history. Indeed, it would appear that Benavidez who has been WBC super middleweight champion on two occasions (between 2017 and 2018 and again between 2019 and 2020) is doing his best to prove he belongs among them. In the eight years that he’s been active, he has continued to thrill the public with a seemingly unquenchable thirst for success and an immense desire to be number one. Quite frankly, we’ve seen several boxers try to avoid him, the most famous of which is Canelo himself who repeatedly avoided questions about whether he would fight against him.

Saturday’s fight will be a ‘Clash of Titans’

So, it comes to this: On Saturday, November 25th Benavidez will step into the ring with Andrade with the hopes of securing a hypothetical opportunity to challenge Canelo. Of course, as good as Benavidez appears to be, it would be a mistake to assume that it will be him and not Andrade who gets that shot. With 32 wins, no losses, and 19 knockouts to his name, Andrade is not only a serious threat but one of the best in the division right now. So, as we always say, ‘watch this space.’

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