Three-time former cruiserweight champion Mairis Briedis predicts that David Morrell’s Cuban school training as a boxer since childhood will lead to his victory over David Benavidez on February 1.
Benavidez won’t be able to bully Morrell as he did when he fought smaller, weaker and older fighters when he competed at 168. Morrell is the same size, younger, stronger and won’t be bullied the way the fighters were beaten by Benavidez at super middleweight.
Fans viewed ‘The Mexican Monster’ Benavidez as a weight bully all those years, gaming the system by melting down to compete against smaller fighters in a division below his massive light heavyweight/cruiserweight frame.
Benavidez didn’t look like the same fighter in his last fight when he moved up to 175 against Oleksandr Gvozdyk on June 15th.
Can Morrell shock the world?
Briedis says that “everyone” believes WBC interim light heavyweight champion Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) will knock out Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs), but he feels that his Cuban background will be too much for ‘The Mexican Monster’ in their headliner at the T-Mobile Arena.
Mairis says Morrell can fight from the outside, throw with power and fight on the inside. He saw all fighting styles during his years in Cuba on the National team. So, what Benavidez brings to the table in this fight will not be new to him.
Morrell arguably fought better fighters than Benavidez in Cuba, fighting two-time Olympic gold medalist Julio Cesar La Cruz. That fighter would be a nightmare for Benavidez because of his size, strength and technical skills.
Politics in the ring?
One question raised for the Benavidez-Morell fight is the judging. As Briedis points out, Benavidez is from the United States, while Morrell is from Cuba. He mentions politics. If the fight goes to the cards, will the more popular fighter, Benavidez, the one with the big fan base in the US, be given the decision, even if it looks like he lost?
In Benavidez’s last fight in Las Vegas against Ukrainian Oleksandr Gvozdyk last June, he earned a wide 12-round unanimous decision in what appeared to be a razor-sharp contest. Gvozdyk looked like he won five to six rounds in that fight, but the Nevada judges scored against Benavidez with this lopsided set of scores: 116-112, 117-111 and 119-109.
I watched the fight and had it 114-114. Benavidez appeared to lose one of the first six rounds, and then the last five, as Gvozdyk came up strong with power shots against the tired ‘Mexican Monster’. So, if the Benavidez-Morrell fight goes to the scorecards, will Morrell get similar treatment? Does he need a knockout to win against the popular Benavidez with his huge fanbase in Nevada and the crowd on his side at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas?
Cuban schooling
“Everyone thinks Benavidez will win by TKO, but I think Morrell is from Cuba and Cuba are very strong boxers. It is a national sport for boxing,” Mairis Briedis said on his part YouTube channel, which featured the David Benavidez vs. David Morrell fight on February 1 analyzed.
“Morell is a very smart guy, a young guy, and he can fight at long range or like a puncher. It’s two punchers meeting in the ring. My prediction, I think Morrell. They show something new for Benavidez. The speed, the strong beats, and some interesting Cuban techniques.
“My prediction is I think Morrell wins by unanimous decision. Benavidez has fought stronger opponents than Morrell. I mean, Morrell didn’t fight very strong guys. I hope Morrell will win by unanimous decision.
In the US there are some small politics. Why, because he (Benavidez) is from the USA, and his fans are from the USA. Morrell is a Cuban guy, and what they’ve been doing since childhood is boxing.”
Morrell has been fighting better fighters than Benavidez since he was a kid in Cuba. He also had a tougher life than Benavidez. His upbringing, along with his superior speed, strength, athletic ability and technical skills, give him a tremendous advantage in this fight.
“The winner (of Benavidez vs. Morrell) will fight Beterbiev or Bivol. Benavidez-Morrell will be a very tough fight, and the next step is the toughest fight against Beterbiev or Bivol,” said Briedis.
