After a three-year hiatus, Jose Benavidez Jr. made his comeback in front of his hometown fans on Saturday night, but he faced difficulties against an unexpected underdog, ultimately settling for a majority draw. Despite his efforts to shake off evident ring rust, Benavidez struggled against Emanuel Torres, who posed challenges with his jab, movement, and defensive skills during their 10-round middleweight match at the Footprint Center in Phoenix. While one judge, Rocky Taylor, scored Benavidez as a 96-95 winner, judges Dennis O’Connell and Chris Wilson declared the fight a draw, each scoring it 95-95.
Torres, hailing from Argentina, managed to secure a majority draw in what can be described as hostile territory, winning the 10th round on all three scorecards. Showtime's unofficial scorer, Steve Farhood, even credited Torres with a 97-93 win.
Benavidez, the 29-year-old former welterweight contender, expressed his disagreement with the decision during his post-fight interview with Showtime’s Jim Gray. Despite being a 16-1 favorite according to DraftKings, Benavidez believed he won every round, emphasizing Torres' evasive tactics throughout the fight.
CompuBox statistics supported Torres' performance, showing him landing 13 more punches overall and excelling in both power punches and jabs. Torres (17-3-1, 5 KOs) claimed victory, especially noting the crowd's cheers when the official decision was revealed by ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr.
Before this bout, Benavidez (27-1-1, 18 KOs) had not entered the ring since his defeat to Terence Crawford in 2018. Despite his efforts in the later rounds, Benavidez struggled to land clean punches on the elusive Torres. The fight ended in a draw, leaving both fighters with mixed feelings about the judges' decision.
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