David Morrell is reportedly visiting trainer Abel Sanchez at his gym in Big Bear, California to see if the two are a good mix for a coaching change for the Cuban fighter.
Assess Abel Sanchez’s coaching pace
Boxing insider Carlos Linares reports that Morrell wants to replace his coach, Ronnie Shieldswith whom he has been working since 2023, in Houston, Texas. For Morrell’s team with Sanchez to work, he must follow his instructions in the corner and carry them out. It’s pointless for Morrell to switch coaches to Abel if he’s not going to follow his orders.
Former two-division world champion Morrell (12-1, 9 KOs) is looking to regain the form he had in his career before his last three disappointing performances against Imam Khataev, David Benavidez and Radivoje Kalajdzic.
In each of those fights, Morrell seemed to lose concentration, fighting only in short bursts and struggling. Morrell showed lapses in mental concentration in those contests that must be corrected if he is to be successful at light heavyweight.
Khataev Bout revealed important weaknesses
In the 27-year-old Morrell’s last fight against Khataev (10-1, 9 KOs) on July 12, 2025, he was knocked down in the fifth round and won what many boxing fans felt was a controversial 10-round split decision.
For much of the fight, Morrell would shoot up from behind a high guard and would rest against the ropes, allowing Khataev to land on him. He fought more like a sparring partner during these instances.
In rounds nine and ten, Morrell appeared to hurt Khataev, but inexplicably backed away and covered rather than go for the finish against the tired Russian fighter. It seemed strange. In Morrell’s corner, one could see that his trainer, Shields, was giving him strict instructions. However, Morrell continued to follow the same pattern as in previous rounds, fighting sporadically and covering up too often.
Benavidez Battle Aftermath
Earlier this year, Morrell lost his WBA ‘regular’ light heavyweight title to David Benavidez via a 12-round unanimous decision on February 1, 2025. As in Morrell’s fight against Khataev, he closed for long stretches, allowing ‘The Mexican Monster’ Benavidez to bombard him with short, overwhelming punches. The scores were 118-108, 115-111 and 115-111.
When Morrell did release his hands, he hurt Benavidez in round 4 and dropped him in round 11. Again, Morrell was inconsistent with his offense and spent too much time covering up. The result was Benavidez winning a surprisingly easy decision against the more powerful Morrell. In hindsight, it was a fight that Morrell could have won had he matched Benavidez’s relentless punching style with his superior power.
Strategic case to return to 168 lbs
One move Morrell should be able to make if he teams up with trainer Abel Sanchez is to move back down to 168. That’s a better weight class for the Cuban, given his approach to fighting in jumps. His power is more formidable in the super middleweight division than at 175. If Morrell isn’t going to change his style, he won’t do well at light heavyweight because it takes a more consistent offensive effort to excel at this weight.
Analysts Verdict: Can Sanchez Rekindle Morrell’s Fire?
Working with Abel Sanchez will be the right trainer for David Morrell to refocus and fight with more consistent aggression than he has shown in his last three fights. Abel is less forgiving of fighters who are disengaged, not following instructions, and not giving maximum effort. It will be a problem for Morrell if he doesn’t follow Sanchez’s directions.
Sanchez expects his fighters to apply pressure and stay on top of their opponents. Previous fighters Abel trained at his high-altitude Big Bear, California gym:
- Gennadiy ‘GGG’ Golovkin
- Terry Norris
- Murat Gassiev
- Lupe Aquino
- Orlin Norris
- Miguel Angel Gonzalez
If the Cuban Morrell is willing to listen to Sanchez and follow his strict discipline, he can regain what he recently lost in his last three performances. But if Morrell continues to lose focus and do what he wants in rounds, teaming up with Sanchez at Big Bear won’t save his career. At 27, it’s not too late for Morrell to turn his career around to find the success he had at 168, but it’s going to take change.
Last updated on 27/10/2025
