Coach Jose Benavidez Sr. says WBA ‘ordinary’ light heavyweight champion David Morrell is not as talented as David Benavidez’s recent opponents, Caleb Plant and Demetrius Andrade. This view by Jose Sr. might explain why he chose Morrell to fight Benavidez because he thinks he’s a safe pick and not as good as Plant and Andrade.
Jose Sr. thinks Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs) lacks the experience and style to defeat his son, WBC interim 175-lb champion Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) when they potentially meet in their proposed bout in early 2025 on January 25.
The Cuban Morrell is known for his technical ability and strength. Benavidez Sr. however, says he saw no power from the 26-year-old Morrell in his recent 12-round unanimous decision win over former light heavyweight world title challenger Radivoje Kalajdzic on Aug. 3 at the BMO Arena in Los Angeles.
Morrell looked powerful in that fight, hurting the 33-year-old Kalajdzic several times with a single left hand to the head, but he couldn’t put him away as he focused so much on single shots instead of landing with a barrage of blows.
That’s how Artur Beterbiev knocked out Kalajdzic in the fifth round on May 4, 2019. Morrell could have knocked him out in the third round, but he couldn’t follow the Beterbiev blueprint. This is an area Morrell will need to improve on, as he likely won’t knock out Benavidez with a single punch like he did against fighters at 168.
Benavidez is there to be beaten, but it’s going to take a flurry of heavy shots from Morrell to do the job. He has the power to knock out Benavidez and take his place as the WBC mandatory challenger to champion Beterbiev. He needs to change his style for their fight next January.
“What I see is a lack of experience. David (Benavidez) throws a lot of combinations, a lot of punches, and Morrell throws some punches. Not so much, and I think David is going to try to push him. Push, push, push, and he’s never been pushed like that before,” Jose Benavidez Sr. said. MillCity Boxing about his belief David Morrell does not have the experience to defeat his son David Benavidez when they fight.
Benavidez is going to get hit with some big shots by Morrell if he walks him down, and it’s going to be hard for him to take those punches if he puts them together in combination form. That style Benavidez worked for him at super middleweight because of his massive cruiserweight-sized frame.
As Lonnie B. says, ‘Benavidez is a cruiserweight who can make weight’ at 175 and 168. He’s not a natural for those two divisions. He is just young enough to still make weight. It’s a good argument why all four sanctioning bodies should have 10-lb rehydration limits or bring back fight-day weigh-ins.
When there were weigh-ins on the day of the fight, there weren’t many weight bullies in the sport because they couldn’t do it. These days, fighters who use weight manipulation to fight two or three divisions below their natural size can have a successful career that they wouldn’t have if they were forced to fight in their natural divisions.
“I think he’s very good when he’s in control, but when you’ve got someone coming and attacking, throwing uppercuts, body shots and all that. He’s never faced it,” Benavidez Sr. said. said of Morrell never fighting someone who attacked him the way Benavidez will.
Benavidez has never fought a guy with the kind of destructive power that Morrell possesses. It will be interesting to see how well he handles being hit by him with his single power shots. Even if Morrell doesn’t change his style, he’s going to be a handful for Benavidez.
“We have encountered many people like Morrell. I think Caleb Plant is a better fighter than Morrell. I think ‘Boo Boo’ (Demetrius Andrade) is a better fighter. I think these two fighters are better (than Morrell) at this point. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t mean he’s not good. Morrell gets better and better every time he fights, but I believe these two fighters I mentioned are more talented and have more experience,” Jose Sr. said.
Plant and Andrade do not have the chin to defeat Morrell. They would not be able to stand up to Morrell’s blows without being knocked out. Benavidez stopped Andrade in the sixth round, and he’s not a big puncher. Journeyman Demond Nicholson dropped Andrade. Plant was dropped twice in his last fight on September 14th by fringe contender Trevor McCumby, and he is not the puncher that Morrell is.
