LOS ANGELES — When the fighters gathered on stage at Avalon Hollywood for the final group photo on Wednesday, one of the biggest names on the card was not actually there. WBC cruiserweight champion Michal Cieslak joined the press conference by video from Poland, and when everyone lined up for the picture, he appeared on a tall screen at the far right of the stage, a face on a feed standing in for the man David Benavidez will fight on Dec. 5.
The tone matched the setup. This was a room full of media and boxing people, built for the cameras and the livestream, and it ran formal and straight to business. No fluff, no staged theatrics. The fighters were serious, gave direct answers, and all seemed to understand the same thing: with a card this stacked, everyone on it wants the best performance of the night.
Eric Dearborn - DAZN
The Benavidez-Cieslak main card gathers for a final photo at Wednesday's press conference in Hollywood, Ca.
Cieslak still delivered the sharpest line. He said he watched Benavidez's last fight and thought Zurdo "was fighting pretty well," then promised, "You'll see on December 5 what he could have done better."
Benavidez did not bite. The Phoenix fighter stopped Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez in six rounds in May to win the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles, and he carried himself Wednesday like a man who is no longer rattled by any of this. Calm, composed, sure of exactly who he is. "I'm not looking past Cieslak," he said, but he made it clear he likes where he stands. "My last fight was probably the best fight I've had in my whole career," Benavidez said, adding that he was the heaviest, fastest and strongest he has ever felt. Thirteen weeks into camp, he said, "I'm finally in the position to make myself the king at this weight class."
He was also honest about why this fight matters beyond the belt. "At the end of the day the accolades are important," Benavidez said. "This was the only thing standing in the way of making my next fight even bigger." Unify first, then see who is next.
Eric Dearborn - DAZN
David Benavidez responds to host Chris Mannix at Wednesday's press conference in Hollywood, Ca.
The co-main event kept the same energy. Vergil Ortiz Jr. said people are overlooking Keith Thurman because he "got stopped by a world champion who can tie his shoes standing up." Thurman, who meets Ortiz on the same card, called the fight a redemption fight and said "styles make fights."
Benavidez's father and trainer, Jose Benavidez Sr., kept it simple. "Phoenix is where everything started for us," he said. Promoter Sampson Lewkowicz said the goal is to sell out Desert Diamond Arena in David's hometown. The pay-per-view begins at 5 p.m. PT on DAZN through Prime Video and also features Nikita Tszyu's U.S. debut against Roberto Valenzuela Jr.
If Benavidez beats Cieslak, he will hold three of the four major cruiserweight titles, and he is already the first fighter to win world titles at 168, 175 and 200 pounds. He is not ready to claim the next part yet. "I'm the best fighter in all of boxing, but I have to prove it," he said. He gets his chance Dec. 5, at home.