Lonnie Thompson is leaning in direction of David Benavidez defeating David Morrell of their battle in 30 days on February 1st on the T-Cell Enviornment in Las Vegas. Thompson sparred with Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) and was impressed along with his engine and the way he attacked his physique.
Lonnie B thinks WBC interim mild heavyweight champion Benavidez will break WBA ‘common’ champ Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs) with strain and knock him out in some unspecified time in the future within the battle.
Underestimating Morrell
He sees Benavidez as a KO puncher for some motive, however he’s clearly not, particularly at 175, the place he’s lastly going through guys his personal dimension after years of campaigning in opposition to smaller fighters at 168. Morrell is an actual knockout artist, and if there’s going to be a KO on this battle, it’ll be him who does it.
The true image is that Benavidez is VERY weak within the higher physique and is compelled to make use of quantity punching as his path to successful his fights. His energy is on the decrease finish of the spectrum for mild heavyweight contenders. That’s why he was ineffective in his debut at 175 in opposition to Oleksandr Gvozdyk final summer time. Benavidez’s lack of higher physique energy jogs my memory of a T-Rex dinosaur’s arms. There’s no energy, like a vestigial characteristic of the long-extinct creature’s withered arms.
“I acquired David Benavidez. David Morrell is actual slick, however he’s acquired the form of fashion the place you bought to place strain on him. Should you put strain on him and go to his physique, you’ll get him. David [Benavidez] makes a speciality of that,” stated Lonnie Thompson to Professional Boxing Followers, guessing that Benavidez will defeat Morrell.
Contemplating that Morrell hasn’t been crushed, Thompson’s remark about the best way to beat him is predicated on guesswork fairly than one he’s seen earlier than. Nobody has crushed Morrell within the professional ranks or come near it.
“He’s [Benavidez] acquired to watch out with the slick counters as a result of David Morrell does have a little bit pop, and he does have slick counters. I feel with the way in which David fights, he’s going to provide David Morrell issues as a result of he’s not going to let him be slick, doing all of the slick stuff that he does along with his ft,” stated Thompson.
Morrell has greater than a “little pop.” He’s arguably the most important puncher within the mild heavyweight division. So, for Lonnie to be saying that Morrell solely has a “little” energy, it means that he hasn’t correctly watched him battle and has no thought what he’s speaking about. He’s clearly extra accustomed to Benavidez than he’s with Morrell, which is comprehensible as a result of he has been a professional for 12 years since 2013 and has numerous miles on the odometer.
“He’s going to need to maintain working and dealing. There’s going to return a time the place he’s going to need to battle David as a result of David [Benvidez] is nice at coming and letting his fingers go,” stated Lonnie B. “So, if David Morrell can catch him in between and damage him, that’s the one likelihood I give him to win.”
Nah, Thompson is unsuitable. Morrell has extra of an opportunity of successful this battle than by knocking out Benavidez. He can beat him by determination by outboxing or out-punching him. His boxing abilities are superior to Benavidez’s resulting from his lengthy newbie profession, combating the highest fighters in Cuba and on the world stage.
Benavidez didn’t have that. He turned professional fairly than going the newbie route and has at all times been a pure slugger, principally resulting from him combating in a weight class beneath his huge mild heavyweight body at tremendous middleweight.
“David Benavidez confirmed me loads. After his final battle [Oleksandr Gvozdyk], no, he’s for actual,” stated Thompson about Benavidez’s final battle in opposition to 37-year-old former WBC mild heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk on June fifteenth.
“I don’t suppose he’s going to have numerous knockouts, however that child hit him with some photographs. That child, Oleksandr [Gvozdyk], hit him with some photographs, and he can punch. He [Benavidez] took them nicely and got here again and was letting his fingers go,” stated Lonnie B.
It seems like Lonnie didn’t watch the Benavidez-Gvozdyk battle. Benavidez didn’t “come again.” He gassed out and took a beating in your entire second half of the battle and was getting the tar crushed out of him by Gvozdyk in rounds 9 by 12. He was getting hit with photographs that might knock a gap by a wall.
Yeah, Benavidez took the punches, however he didn’t come again. He was a punching bag within the final 4 rounds. Lonnie B might need seen spotlight clips on YouTube that favored Benavidez, however that’s not how the battle performed out in rounds six by twelve. David appeared exhausted and weak, getting pummeled by the stronger Gvozdyk.
Thompson’s Prediction
“David Morrell hasn’t been examined like that, although. I’m leaning extra towards David Benavidez as a result of I sparred with him,” stated Thompson. “He punches rather well to the physique. Simply from my commentary, I don’t suppose David Morrell goes to have the ability to take that over 12 rounds.”
It will be a mistake for Benavidez to attempt to go to Morrell’s physique as a result of he’ll depart his head open for energy photographs. He may find yourself getting knocked out like Sena Agbeko and Yamaguchi Falcão. These guys tried to assault Morrell’s physique and had been shortly knocked out. Benavidez will likely be a sitting duck if he lowers his fingers to focus on Morrell’s midsection.
“Yeah, however I could possibly be unsuitable however I feel David Benavidez goes to cease him,” stated Lonnie B. “David has acquired a kind of types. Once you take a look at him, you’re like, ‘Okay,’ however while you get in there with him, it’s loads more durable than I assumed.”
Benavidez isn’t a knockout puncher, and positively not at 175. The fellows he knocked out at 168 had been small and outdated, like Demetrius Andrade, Roamer Alexis Angulo, David Lemieux, and Anthony Dirrell. All of these guys had been smaller than Benavidez and 35-ish.
“I assumed he’d be there for this shot, however he’s not. His fingers are up, he takes a great punch, and he comes again. His work charge is excessive. You’ve acquired to be in tip-top place to maintain up with him. It’s going to be a great battle, however I’m leaning extra towards David Benavidez,” stated Lonnie B.
Benavidez could have issues utilizing his quantity punching in opposition to Morrell as a result of he strikes and chooses when he needs to interact along with his opponent. His gradual ft will make it onerous for him to get to Morrell and land his quantity. Sadly, he strikes like Frankenstein’s monster and might solely land his photographs in opposition to stationary fighters.
