David Benavidez puts on a clinic in wide victory over David Morrell that puts him a step away from light heavyweight supremacy
Now, maybe we know why Canelo Alvarez hasn’t been so eager to fight David Benavidez.
The man known as ‘The Mexican Monster’ has been one of the best fighters in the world since at least the night of his March 25, 2023, victory over Caleb Plant. But on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Benavidez raised his game several levels en route to a unanimous decision victory over arch rival David Morrell Jr. in their light heavyweight title grudge match.
Benavidez won by scores of 115-111 twice and 118-108 in a performance that was reminiscent of the great light heavyweight battles in the Seventies and Eighties.
A pair of unbeaten 20-somethings with world titles around their waists and plenty to lose went to war in a bout that more than lived up to its billing. It will be one of the year’s best fights and will no doubt be a Fight of the Year contender.
They both showed inordinate intestinal fortitude, standing in the pocket and delivering and absorbing thudding, soul-sucking punches. Benavidez was particularly effective going to the body and landed a slew of withering shots to Morrell’s midsection.
Rumors of a rough training camp for Morrell were proven false, as he absorbed Benavidez’s crushing blows and fought bravely and with determination.
Nobody who was battered and beaten in camp could have absorbed the blows that Benavidez delivered on Saturday.
It was Morrell, in the 11th, who scored the fight’s only knockdown. And while his face showed the results of the battle, he didn’t wobble a single time.
“I just want to give a quick shout out to David Morrell,” Benavidez said in tribute to his vanquished opponent following weeks of threats and heated trash talk. “He’s a hell of a fighter.”
So, too, is Benavidez, who is normally a slow starter but who uncharacteristically got out of the gates quickly. Morrell was 130-5 as an amateur in the vaunted Cuban program, where good defense is almost a given.
Benavidez expected that but got nothing of the kind. He recognized it early and pushed the pace to the benefit of those watching.
“He was easier to hit than I expected,” Benavidez said. “So every opportunity I saw, I took it.”
There was much at stake, since they fought three weeks before the undisputed light heavyweight title bout between champion Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol is held on Feb. 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Turki Alalshikh, the new owner of Ring Magazine and the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, said he wanted Saturday’s winner to face the Beterbiev-Bivol winner.
So while Benavidez risked his interim WBC belt and Morrell put his regular WBA title on the line, neither were truly champions (even though they fought like it). Beterbiev is the real champion, and if Alalshikh follows through, Benavidez will get the chance to fight the Feb. 22 winner for all the belts.
Benavidez charted his own course after getting sick of waiting for Alvarez, the unified and at one point undisputed super middleweight champ, to face him. Alvarez had made a career of taking on the best opposition, but with Benavidez in his division and there to pose a serious challenge, Alvarez instead went the easy route.
He fought John Ryder, Jermell Charlo, Jaime Munguia and Edgar Berlanga, eschewing a big-money offer from Benavidez promoter Sampson Lewkowicz to face Benavidez in favor of men who were significantly less dangerous.
It never made sense why Alvarez was so steadfastly opposed to Benavidez, at least until Benavidez put on that show on Saturday.
Morrell is outstanding and fought a fight that would have beaten most 175-pounders on Saturday. Benavidez was too good, too strong and too technical for him, though.
He made no excuses, and said he hopes he can fight Benavidez again.
“I’m young and I need to go practice more and get better and if they make the second fight, I know I can win,” Morrell said.
Morrell came into the fight with an 11-0 pro record, but he was skilled well beyond that mark. And he’s right, he will get better and it wouldn’t be shocking if we saw him fight Benavidez at least once more. They have a rivalry and it’s a good one. It’s the type boxing needs more of.
Benavidez is now 30-0 and presumably will be ringside in Riyadh on Feb. 22 to watch Beterbiev and Bivol do battle in their rematch.
Beterbiev is 40 and isn’t going to be around much longer. Bivol is 34 and is on the back nine.
Benavidez is just 28 and could rule this division for years. He’s just about at the top and is now entering his prime.
He’s loaded with boxing skill and punching power. He’s hugely competitive and is willing to do what Alvarez once did, and take on all comers.
Benavidez has years ahead to dominate the division. He’s already great and he’s still getting better.
