Coach Jose Benavidez Sr. says his son, WBC interim gentle heavyweight champion David Benavidez, will “harm” WBA ‘common’ champ David Morrell on February 1st of their final in Las Vegas. Jose Sr. states that Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs) hasn’t been on this “stage” earlier than, whereas Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) has.
Can Benavidez Damage Morrell?
Jose Sr. feels that the 26-year-old Morrell will crumble from the strain of getting all the eye on him. It seems like wishful considering on Papa Benavidez’s half as a result of what we noticed within the Mexican Monster’s debut at 175 towards Oleksandr Gvozdyk was that he’s a mere mortal now that he’s moved up in weight from 168.
That combat confirmed that Benavidez may have to begin considering of a return to the tremendous middleweight division if issues crumble for him at gentle heavyweight. If Benavidez loses to Morrell by knockout, as some counsel, he must trim down and attempt to return to 168.
Like many fighters that transfer up in weight, Benavidez isn’t the identical man and doesn’t match within the 175-lb division like Morrell. In his debut at gentle heavyweight, the Cuban expertise Morrell harm Radivoje Kalajdzic repeatedly with single pictures to the top, placing him in bother nearly instantly within the first spherical and persevering with to stagger him all through.
Nobody had ever finished this to Kalajdzic earlier than, not even Artur Beterbiev. Morrell’s energy at 175 is larger than any top-tier fighter at gentle heavyweight.
Analyzing Benavidez’s Body
In distinction, Benavidez’s energy, or lack thereof, is that of a mid-range 168-pounder, and one cause for that’s his weak, emaciated higher physique. Benavidez has a withered, frail higher physique. It’s all the time been like that, however at 175, it’s extra of a hindrance towards the highly effective apex predators on this weight class, like David Morrell.
“Individuals are saying that he’s [Benavidez] not the identical. I used to be about to cancel that combat [Oleksandr Gvozdyk]. He injured his proper hand. It’s good now, and he had a lower over his eye two weeks earlier than the combat,” mentioned Jose Benavidez Sr. to Struggle Hub TV about David Benavodez’s poor efficiency in his final combat on June fifteenth.
“He’s robust, wholesome, motivated, and we’re going to harm David Morrell on February 1st. He’s [Benavidez] the one which known as Al Haymon and mentioned he wished the combat with David Morrell. I wish to thank David Morrell’s workforce. It was a simple combat to make.
“He does possess energy, IQ, and pace. Plus, he’s a left-hander,” mentioned Jose Sr. about Morrell. “We’re excited to combat David Morrell. “I’m comfortable that individuals wish to see this combat. Lots of people suppose Morrell can win. There’s ranges to boxing, and David [Benavidez] has been at this type of stage already. That is Morrell’s first stage, preventing for 2 titles. I believe David goes to be the winner.”
Followers aren’t shopping for Benavidez’s twin hand damage excuses from his combat towards Oleksandr Gvozdyk on June 15h. Benavidez was slapping along with his punches similar to he all the time had at 168. He’s NOT the identical fighter at 175 as he was at tremendous middleweight, and he gained’t be.
Benavidez’s Lack of Energy at 175
Benavidez is a textbook instance of a weight bully. Now that he’s preventing near his correct weight class, he’s only a shell of his former self. He ought to be at cruiserweight, however at the very least 175, he’s nearer, and his energy isn’t practically adequate to dominate on this weight class prefer it was at 168.
Benavidez can’t afford to maintain posting up in entrance of his opposition, specializing in quantity punching. He took a profession’s price of punishment to the top by the heavy-handed Gvozdyk, but it surely gained’t finish nicely for him if he makes an attempt that towards David Morrell. He’s the #1 power-puncher within the gentle heavyweight division, the apex predator, and can harm Benavidez.
Like all the time, Benavidez threw machine gun mixtures, however the distinction was that it didn’t faze the equally huge and extra highly effective Gvozdyk. Benavidez wore down quickly from the tempo, throwing so many punches whereas carrying further weight and getting hit more durable than he’d ever been throughout his 11 years preventing towards smaller opposition at 168.
“I got here as much as [Morrell] and mentioned, ‘We’re going to take that bell away from you.’ He [Benavidez] fought all people from 168 to 175 in sparring, and he’s a world champion [correction: WBC interim 175-lb champion, NOT world champ]. That’s why they name him the ‘Mexican Monster,’” mentioned Jose Sr. about Benavidez.
Jose Sr. goes approach overboard by saying that Benavidez has fought “all people” at tremendous middleweight and light-weight heavyweight. Benavidez did NOT combat all people at 168 or 175. His finest win at 168 got here towards Caleb Plant, and that man was nearly knocked out in his final combat by Trevor McCumby.
The ‘Mexican Monster’ fought largely older guys, and he’s solely bought one combat beneath his belt at 175 towards 37-year-old Oleksandr Gvozdyk. That man was retired for 4 years from 2019 to 2023 and solely not too long ago staged a comeback final yr.
At tremendous middleweight, Benavidez didn’t combat any of those Killers:
Canelo Alvarez
Jaime Munguia
Christian Mbilli
Osleys Iglesias
Diego Pacheco
Edgar Berlanga
The truth is that Benavidez was as rigorously matched at tremendous middleweight as Edgar Berlanga, however he and his dad, Jose Sr, did loads of speaking to make it seem to be he was doing greater than he truly was.
