Benavidez-Morrell: Can “The Mexican Monster” Conquer His First A-Level Test?

David Benavidez is counting on his professional experience to carry him to victory against undefeated David Morrell on February 1 in their 12-round fight on PBC on Prime Video PPV.

The ‘Mexican Monster’ Benavidez predicts that he will soon be the “Face of Boxing” and that he sees this fight as his “takeover.” He obviously doesn’t lack self-confidence heading into the fight with Morrell.

Benavídez’s confidence

David Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) says he can’t wait to add Morrell’s ‘regular’ WBA light heavyweight title to his collection. He currently holds the WBC interim 175-pound belt, a trinket title that guarantees him a title shot against champion Artur Beterbiev if he emerges victorious against Morrell.

Benavidez-Morrell headline the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. This is a fight that many boxing fans see as 50-50, but not Benavidez. He sees it as a sure victory for him, but that’s who he is.

If he were to fight Beterbiev, Jai Opetaia or even Daniel Dubois, he would probably be equally confident of victory. He’s one of those guys who has huge egos shaped by years of campaigning at 168, and he’s yet to fight an A-level fighter during his career.

Morrell is the closest thing to being that type of fighter. That’s what makes it interesting: Benavidez will have to show if he is as good as he thinks he is. I feel like he isn’t because his brother, José Benavidez Jr., is the same. He has lost every time he has faced A-level opponents. This will be the first time for Benavidez and it is possible that he will lose as well.

Fights prior to the PBC PPV

Brandon Figueroa vs. Stephen Fulton
Yoenli Hernández vs. Angel Ruiz Astorga
Isaac Cruz vs. Angel Fierro Barreda
Jesus Alejandro Ramos Jr. vs. Jeison Rosario
Mirco Cuello vs. Christian Olivo

Experience versus power

“I don’t see the amateur as any (advantage). “This is not an amateur fight,” David Benavidez told media when asked about the experience advantage that David Morrell has over him from his time as an amateur star in Cuba.

“This is a 12-round championship fight. He may have an advantage for three rounds because of his amateur (experience), but other than that, three rounds means nothing. I’ve been with the best fighters, and in the biggest places and in the biggest fights. This is my third or fourth PPV.

“So I have experience on my side. I don’t think he’s ever been in anything like this, and I’m going to show why I’m on a different level. I knew I had bitten off a bigger chunk than I could chew,” Benavidez said of Morrell.

Amateur experience matters when a fighter has the kind of success Morrell had in Cuba. As an amateur, he was 130-2, and that could affect this fight if he can handle the pressure from Benavidez. Morrell cannot move for 12 rounds.

He will have to stand his ground and fight Benavidez to win because if he tries to move like he did in his debut at 175 on August 3 against Radivoje Kalajdzic, he will lose by decision. Benavidez will have the advantage in punch production, but Morrell can take it away by knocking him out. That’s what you’ll have to do.

Benavidez has a thick skull and seems to shoot like it’s nothing. The blows that Oleksandr Gvozdyk delivered with all his strength had no effect and were more powerful than the ones he was landing. He took them. However, Morrell hits harder and won’t get tired with the movement like Gvozdyk did. The 37-year-old looked tired and old in that fight with Benavidez last June.

“I know what I can do. All the high-caliber fighters say the same thing, but once they get in the ring with me, they say, ‘David Benavidez is on a different level.’ I’m really motivated. I’m excited to go in and get that WBA belt. I don’t have one of those. So I am very excited to get one of these for my collection,” Benavidez said.

‘The Mexican Monster’ has yet to face a “high caliber fighter” during his career. I also don’t know if Morrell is a “high caliber” fighter, but he is fighting at a higher level than the best Benavidez has fought.

Morrell’s power advantage and technical skills make him a threat, especially with the way Benavidez focuses on taking advantage of everything he throws. He is reckless with the way he fights and will eventually get knocked out fighting like this. Will Morrell be the one to do it? We don’t know, but I wouldn’t be surprised.

So, it’s not clear who he’s talking about. His best wins came against Oleksandr Gvozdyk, 37, Demetrius Andrade, 36, and Caleb Plant. Those are NOT “high caliber” fighters.

Andrade was a good fighter years ago when he was at 154, but he was too old and small to fight light heavyweight Benavidez at 168. David looked huge while rehydrating for Andrade and didn’t look like a super middleweight. There was no way Demetrius was going to beat Benavidez with him being so much bigger. If things were the same and Andrade was young and the fight was held at 154 in 2012, he would have had a chance, but not at 168 against a much younger, light heavyweight Benavidez.

Gvozdyk had been retired for four years after being knocked out by Artur Beterbiev in 2019. He came back and beat a couple of tomato cans before being selected by Benanvidez’s management. This was not the best version of Oleksandr who lost to Beterbiev and knocked out Adonis Stevenson.

The face of boxing?

“This is my inauguration. Watching the fighters in Vegas, I feel like I could handle this. I really entertain and put on great fights. I want this for myself. I want to show people that I am the best. When I go in there, everyone sees the level now. “I am excited to make my dreams come true and become the face of boxing,” Benavidez said.

It will be difficult for Benavidez to become ‘The Face of Boxing’ without beating Morrell or the winner of the rematch Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2. With the way Benavidez loads every punch, putting everything into it, he will have problems against Morrell or Beterbiev if he gets that far.

The way Benavidez fought Oleksandr Gvozdyk last June will hurt him badly. Luckily for him, Gvozdyk was mainly pushing his punches and not putting full power into them. When he started to ramp up his shots in the second half, he was lighting up Benavidez with headshots.

In the last 30 seconds of the 12th, he hurt Benavidez with a right hand to the body. Morrell is much faster, younger and more powerful than Gvozdyk. It will hurt Benavidez. I don’t think the ‘Mexican Monster’ can change because that’s how he has always fought and he is incapable of trying to box. When he’s out there, he’s full of wild hooks, and that’s going to be a problem against Morrell. He will counter it and we could see a one-punch knockout victory for Morrell.