David Morrell says WBC interim gentle heavyweight champion David Benavidez gained’t be capable of struggle offensively in opposition to him on February 1st as a result of he is not going to let him.
(Credit score: Jacob De Leon/Crew Morrell)
Benavidez’s Dangerous Fashion
Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs) says he’ll neutralize Benavidez’s offense by hitting him laborious with counters, making him cautious about opening up like he usually does. If Benavidez chooses to struggle in his regular, reckless method, Morrell warns, will probably be a mistake that he’ll dwell to remorse.
Benavidez-Morrell can be headlining in 26 days on PBC on Prime Video PPV on the T-Cellular Enviornment in Las Vegas. Morrell, 26, will defend his WBA ‘common’ gentle heavyweight title in opposition to the 28-year-old ‘Mexican Monster’ Benavidez.
It’s going to be attention-grabbing to see how a lot punishment Benavidez can absorb on this struggle earlier than he goes down. If he doesn’t change his ultra-aggressive combating type for this struggle, he’ll get knocked out for sure by Morrell as a result of this man is likely one of the largest punchers within the 175-lb division. He’s received one-punch energy, and he can KO Benavidez if he fights like a wild man like he usually does.
“That is all a part of the present. I don’t know if Benavidez has tried some twisted psychological warfare on anybody else up to now. I’m sharp-minded and centered on February 1st,” mentioned David Morrell to Sean Zittel. “I’m not going to play any thoughts video games.
“Put your cash the place your mouth is. One factor is to say you’re going to do it, however the different factor is to step contained in the ring to really do it,” mentioned Morrell, reacting to being instructed that Benavidez says he’s going to strain him nonstop in each spherical.
“Let’s see if he’s able to doing every little thing that he’s saying that he needs to do. That is going to be a very totally different struggle in comparison with his previous fights. He’s not going to have the ability to be as offensive-minded and as aggressive as he has been as a result of this isn’t going to be that kind of struggle,” mentioned Morrell.
On The Inside
Benavidez is aware of just one combating type: strain his opponents on the within. Though he’s 6’2 ” tall, he has no outdoors recreation. He’s 100% an inside fighter and one-dimensional, so he has no selection however to strain. If the struggle is carried out from a distance, Morrell will cook dinner him.
The distinction in energy might sink Benavidez as a result of he’s only a quantity puncher and may’t generate any pop on his punches. That’s a product of his weak higher physique. He’s not been blessed with energy like Morrell or Artur Beterbiev. On the within, Morrell is way extra highly effective and able to knocking out his opponents.
Watching what he did to Radivoje Kalajdzic within the third spherical of their struggle final August was scary. Kalajdzic crowded Morrell, hoping to get the higher of him on the within. Morrell then unleashed a flurry of headshots, all with knockout drive, and had Kalajdzic reeling.
Benavidez doesn’t possess any sort of energy on the within, and he might get in bother when he tries to struggle Morrell in shut. Once more, Benavidez has no selection however to struggle on the within as a result of he can’t throw longer punches for some motive. It might be some bodily downside along with his physique or a foul expertise that he had up to now. No matter it’s, he can’t struggle on the skin.
“I’m not going to be the sort of opponent that’s going to be proper there on the nook for the taking,” mentioned Morrell. “I’m going to be making my very own issues occur, and with that, I’m going to have to regulate. It’s not going to be only a free-for-all for him the place he’s going to have the ability to strain me and pin me down the way in which he’s cornered different opponents up to now.”
Benavidez pinned opponents who have been smaller than him in opposition to the ropes up to now when he was campaigning at 168. He was a lightweight heavyweight who fought at tremendous middleweight for a weight and dimension benefit.
When he lastly moved as much as 175 final summer season in opposition to former WBC champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk, he couldn’t dominate him on the within like he’s finished in opposition to his smaller foes at 168. That’s why he seemed so common and no higher than any fringe contender within the division. He didn’t appear like a top-five gentle heavyweight.
Morrell’s Counter Technique
“I can inform you 100% that I’m going to have the ability to counter-punch, struggle off the again foot for no matter is required of me,” mentioned Morrell. “He could be as aggressive-minded as he needs, however he higher not make a mistake as a result of at this stage, with the sort of opponent that I’m, if he makes a mistake or a number of errors, there’s going to be a excessive value for him to pay,” mentioned Morrell.
Benavidez was hit lots by Caleb Plant, damage twice by Anthony Dirrell, nailed steadily by Demetrius Andrade, and dropped by Ronald Gavril. He leaves himself open for counter-shots along with his aggressive volume-punching and his choice to struggle in shut. Whereas that type has labored for him, it additionally has resulted in him getting hit lots.
Morrell’s punching energy might be an excessive amount of for Benavidez ultimately, and we’ll seemingly see a knockout by the sixth spherical. Benavidez will struggle like a wild man and get caught by Morrell.
