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Many fans are starting to believe that interim WBC Light Heavyweight Champion David Benavidez made a mistake in choosing to fight WBA “regular” champion David Morrell in this early stage of his career before ‘get the fight for money he was looking for.
Morrell has the power, speed and technical skills to knock Benavidez out and send him to the mud, where he may never return. The Cuban talent is a fighter many believe is the heir apparent to the crown at 175, and Benavidez picked the wrong man to walk into a giant, life-changing payday.
Beterbiev’s payday
If David Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) loses this fight to Morrell, he can be fired from $10 million + payday may get to fight undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev in 2025. That mega-money fight would go to Morrell, who would have the last laugh. Benavidez will have to get back to the top, and there’s no guarantee he can.
Next time, he’d have to beat a young top contender for an interim title shot at 175. It wouldn’t be the easy situation he had this time, where Benavidez fought a 37-year-old. Oleksandr Gvozdyk for the interim WBC belt to line up in pole position to fight for the Undisputed Championship against the winner of Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2.
The World Boxing Council received a lot of criticism for sanctioning a fight between Benavidez and Gvozdyk for their interim title at 175. This was Benavidez’s first fight at light heavyweight, and he fought a man who had recently come out of retirement four years old
In fairness, Benavidez should have had to figure himself out to fight for the interim WBC 175-pound title, and his opponent should have been one of the top contenders, like Joshua Buatsi.
Yesterday’s fight at media training, where Morrell came close to hitting Benavidez with his WBA belt, is drawing attention. It was a sign of what’s in store for him when he takes on Morrell and was knocked out in their fight on February 1, live on PBC at Prime Video PPV at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
A 50-50 fight
This is by far the best fighter Benavidez will have fought in his 11-year career, and the only one where he’s facing someone with a 50-50 chance of beating him. So far, Benavidez has provided gimmicks in terms of opponents with safe wins where he wasn’t worried about losing.
He had things going in his favor from day one, fighting in a weight class below his gigantic lightweight, weight structure and fighting weak, middle-of-the-road opposition.
Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) did not have to face this risky fight against the Cuban talent Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs), who is better than him in all departments. “The Mexican Monster” probably still would have been chosen to fight the winner of the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 rematch without taking this risky fight against Morrell.
The bravado that led Benavidez to take this bet was created by his victories over smaller fighters, older fighters and unfortunate 168-year-olds. His super middleweight wins.
