David Benavidez says he’s taking the struggle in opposition to the extremely rated mild heavyweight David Morrell on February 1st as a result of he needs to “shut folks up.”
This struggle is lengthy overdue by at the least two to 3 years as a result of former Cuban novice star Morrell has been calling out Benavidez for a number of years and has gotten nowhere. Benavidez didn’t need to struggle him for apparent causes.
He was chasing a Canelo payday, and Morrell may have ended any probabilities of that struggle from occurring. The truth that it took this lengthy for Benvidez to lastly face Morrell already made it clear to the followers that he was flat-out afraid of the Cuban fighter, even when he didn’t need to admit it. Folks’s actions betray what’s actually lurking inside.
Benavidez With A Chip on His Shoulder
‘The Mexican Monster’ Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) needs to point out folks he’s “not scared” of WBA ‘common’ 175-lb champion Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs) and shall be dealing with the younger phenom in the principle occasion on PBC on Prime Video PPV on the T-Cell Area in Las Vegas. It’s a struggle the place Benavidez should show that he’s nearly as good as he’s made himself out to be.
For the final two years, followers have questioned Benavidez’s braveness, trashing him for avoiding the Cuban Morrell Jr’s frequent callouts. It was not possible for folks to not discover that Benavidez was combating lesser opposition whereas David Lemieuz, Caleb Plant, and Demetrius Andrade.
It didn’t take a genius to acknowledge that Benavidez wasn’t the brave individual that he’d led folks to consider about him. He was only a cruiserweight who may make weight at 168 to struggle smaller guys whereas attempting arduous to get a struggle in opposition to Canelo Alvarez and the enormous payday that may come from such a struggle.
Benavidez didn’t look good in his first struggle at mild heavyweight in opposition to Oleksander Gvozdyk on June fifteenth, and that efficiency confirmed that he’s simply a mean quantity puncher now that he’s combating guys close to his regular weight class. He nonetheless seems like a cruiserweight after he rehydrates, however at mild heavyweight, he’s at the least semi-close to the place he needs to be.
Morrell: The Most Harmful Fighter At 175?
“Even when he didn’t look too good, he had performances the place he appeared good. Lots of people say he’s essentially the most harmful fighter. Convey him on,” stated David Benavidez to ESNEWS, speaking about David Morrell forward of their February 1st struggle in Las Vegas.
Morrell is the most important puncher within the 175-lb division, with true one-punch energy in both hand and if he lands, he’s able to knocking out anybody. What he lacks is the mix punching to complete off his foes. Morrell didn’t should be a mixture puncher when he fought at 168 as a result of he was so highly effective, but it surely’s a distinct story now that he’s at 175.
To get knockouts on this weight class requires placing photographs collectively and ending off one’s opponents with flurries. Benavidez goes to have a more durable transition to mild heavyweight as a result of he has solely common energy and never the beautiful one-punch KO skill that Morrell possesses. He’s not blessed in that division. Benavidez is extra of a blue-collar, 9 to five sort of fighter.
The struggle Benavidez is referring to is about Morrell, 26, not having appeared “too good” in opposition to the highly effective mild heavyweight contender Radivoje ‘Scorching Rod’ Kalajdzic on August third in Los Angeles.
That was Morrell’s debut at 175, going up in opposition to a fighter that had solely misplaced as soon as up to now eight years, and that was in opposition to Artur Beterbiev in 2019. Morrell nonetheless harm Kalajdzic a number of occasions within the struggle, leaving him on the point of being knocked out.
Morrell’s reliance on throwing single photographs as a substitute of combos and flurries prevented him from getting the stoppage. That was how Beterbiev knocked Kalajdzic out within the fifth spherical 5 years in the past.
Benavidez appeared worse in his debut in opposition to Oleksandr Gvozdyk on June fifteenth, gassing after six rounds and taking a beating within the remaining six. That struggle ought to have been a draw, however the Nevada judges gave it to Benavidez by a large resolution.
It wasn’t shocking resulting from his reputation, but it surely was NOT a real win. Followers dumped on Benavidez afterward, and even Canelo Alvarez piled on, noting that he wasn’t the identical fighter at 175.
The Mexican Monster’ Needs To Quiet Doubters
“I need to shut folks up and show that I’m the perfect. I’m not afraid of no challenges. That’s what we do,” stated Benavidez.
This struggle with Morrell would possibly do the other of shutting folks up in opposition to Benavidez. It may trigger an avalanche of criticism within the aftermath of a knockout loss to the Cuban expertise. Even a choice defeat for Benavidez would end in him getting completely dumped on by followers, and he’d by no means hear the tip of it.
Clearly, Benavidez’s futile hopes that he’s nonetheless desperately holding onto about combating Canelo can be dashed for good. It in all probability wouldn’t cease him from persevering with to trick himself into believing there would nonetheless be an opportunity, however it might by no means occur.
February 1st PPV Undercard
– Brandon Figueroa vs. Stephen Fulton Jr 2 – co-feature
– Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz vs. Angel Fierro,
– Jesus Ramos Jr. vs. Jeison Rosario
