Lightweight prospect Curmel Moton came in significantly overweight for his fight against Ecuador’s Bryan Mercado on Friday during the final weigh-ins for the bout on Saturday. However, it appears interim WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez is paying the price, as the boxing world mocks ‘The Mexican Monster’ relentlessly.

You see, the thing is, when Premier Boxing Champions released a promo last month for David Benavidez’s upcoming fight against David Morrell on February 1, Benavidez appeared noticeably overweight and out of shape. This had already made him the laughingstock among fans, but with Moton’s weight debacle, Benavidez is catching stray insults.

Curmel Moton reveals why he missed weight

In a recent statement issued to the media following the cancellation of the fight by Swift Promotions, Moton issued an apology to fans for missing weight. He explained that the fight had to be called off because the sanctioning body had misplaced his bloodwork. “I’ve been going back and forth with the commission about my bloodwork passing, and as of right now, they lost my blood in their system [which meant the fight was unlikely to be sanctioned],” Moton said.

“I’ve known this for the past three days, so there was no point in killing myself to make [the] weight,” he added, noting that he might be fighting on the undercard of Ryan Garcia’s exhibition fight against Rukiya Anpo on December 30th in Japan. Regardless, a still from David Benavidez’s promo video quickly made its way to X, where a user drew a comparison between Moton’s missing weight and Benavidez’s out-of-shape physique.

The user wrote, “Curmel Moton rocking up to the scales.” This was enough for fans to start poking fun at David Benavidez.

David Benavidez compared to Thanksgiving turkey

David Benavidez has been facing criticism for his weight since the promo initially came out, but things seem to have escalated further. One user, clearly still in the Thanksgiving spirit, couldn’t resist comparing Benavidez’s physique to a turkey. “This muthaf**ker is the stuffed turkey,” the user commented. However, Benavidez is expected to shed all the weight by the time he is supposed to fight.

Another user took a passive-aggressive and sarcastic dig at Benavidez. “Ya’ll better put some respect on the Mexican Monster … that’s Cabelo’s worst nightmare,” the user wrote. Canelo Alvarez famously refused to fight Benavidez unless he was paid $200 million for the fight. 

Someone else revealed what may have caused Benavidez’s weight gain. “Too much cheeseburger 🍔 and chips 🍟😂😂😂,” the user commented. Some fighters are known to put on weight during their off time. But Benavidez has previously missed weight, which resulted in him being stripped of his title. So, it makes the current situation much more concerning.

The next user brought Tyson Fury into the conversation, comparing the physiques of both men. “Looķs like Tyson Fury after 12 weeks in camp,” the user commented. ‘The Gypsy King’ is known for fighting overweight, but it’s not that concerning for him because, first, he uses his weight to his advantage, and second, there’s no upper weight limit in the heavyweight division. 

Meanwhile, this user expressed his concerns about Benavidez’s readiness for the bout. “Pretty concerning a fighter that ballon’s in between fights,” the user commented. However, the weight will only be a problem if it starts affecting his performance. 

That said, even though David Benavidez is still months away from his final weigh-in for his fight against David Morrell, Curmel Moton’s weight mishap has led to Benavidez receiving criticism from boxing fans. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of shape he comes in for his February fight to silence the critics. Do you think Benavidez should be worried?