GLENDALE, Arizona – Gabriela Tellez was considering a career in the US Army when her trainer Jose Benavidez intervened with some sage advice.
Your mother and siblings need you to earn a living, the father and trainer of three-division champion David Benavidez suggested, elaborating by endorsing Tellez’s talent and fighting heart as rare commodities.
Tellez embraced the coaching and, at age 19, she finds herself assigned to Saturday’s IBF lightweight title fight against the 2025 women’s boxer of the year, Turkey’s Elif Nur Turhan, 13-0 (8 KOs), on DAZN at Desert Diamond Arena.
“This is the opportunity she’s willing to take,” Benavidez said of Tellez, 7-0 (3 KOs). “She knows life is hard. It’s time for her to show the world who she is. I told her, ‘I know you can do this.’ I wouldn’t put her in there if I didn’t know she can do it. High risk, high reward.”
Anyone who’s watched Turhan would be impressed, or alarmed, by the hellacious slugger with wicked intentions.
Benavidez makes the obvious point – “as long as Gabby stays away from those big punches, she’ll be okay” – but contrasts it by characterizing Turhan as an undisciplined, free-swinging punisher.
Twelve years younger and five inches shorter, the 5ft 2ins Tellez will lean on the boxing education she has absorbed while boxing since age six.
“I give [Turhan] respect, but she’s not as talented. That’s why I took the fight,” Benavidez said. “She hits hard and she’s hungry, but she’s missing the skill. I feel very confident.
“Gabby’s been through a lot, struggling with money. Mom has about six kids and Gabby’s one of the older ones. She has a lot of fight in her. She has a lot of experience, has sparred everybody, and she wants to make history. Don’t let her little body fool you.”
In her conversation with BoxingScene, Tellez carried a matter-of-fact tone regarding her decision to take this fight.
“Seeing how my coaches put so much faith in me really pushed me to say to myself, ‘You got it? Yeah,’” Tellez said.
Given her willingness to join the military and to jump at this chance, her toughness is unquestioned. From where does it derive?
“The Mexican side, the roots come out,” Tellez said. “All I’ve known in the gym is hard work, hustle all the time. Knowing I don’t have that quit, that I’ve got that dog, it’s always been there.”
Because of her dedication to the sport versus Turhan’s more wing-it style, Tellez said, “We’ve watched a good amount of film. We definitely went into taking this fight very thoughtfully. We know what we’ve got to do. Experience wise, we’ve got it covered.”
That’s not a youth disrespecting her elder.
“Nah, she’s a great champion, I’m not going to take anything away from her,” Tellez said. “She’s strong, a grown woman. I’m barely coming into this stage, but there’s levels to certain boxing. I’ve gone international. I’ve seen that style a few times, worked with many different styles. I don’t think there’s anything I see that scares me or intimidates me in any way. I think I’m good.”
With Benavidez leading Tellez’s corner with Junior Lopez, the trainer says he’s been awed by the pedigree she has built in her youth.
“She has so much talent. I saw the footwork, the head movement. She’s young, but very accurate and elusive and her IQ is superb,” Benavidez said.
Presently residing in San Antonio, Texas, the hometown of Saturday main-event fighter Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, Tellez fist bumped him at Wednesday’s workout and said she may seek some counsel once the distraction of making weight passes.
“I know it’s going to be an amazing night and people are going to see amazing things from me. I’m just excited. It was made to happen,” Tellez said. “I’m in my element. Boxing’s where I’m at my happiest.”
Tellez recalled when 23-year-old Canelo Alvarez accepted an underdog assignment he lost to Floyd Mayweather Jnr because Alvarez wanted to witness a veteran champion in the ring with virtually nothing to lose while gaining a title-fight purse.
“Women’s boxing, everyone can see, is stepping up fight by fight, card by card, year by year,” she said. “Me taking this fight is about me testing where I am. My team and I know I’m a great boxer. I can really show that as a 19-year-old that I can really do that.”
“We’re facing a champion who’s strong, motivated and dangerous, but at the end of the day we try to give the fans what they want,” Benavidez said. “We’re trying to see where we’re at.”
