David Morrell and David Benavidez will hold a media workout this Tuesday, December 17th, to discuss their light heavyweight championship battle. The fight will take place in 47 days, on February 1, 2025, on PBC on Prime Video PPV from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Avoiding Morrell?
WBA ‘regular’ 175-lb champion Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs_and WBC interim champ Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) will discuss their clash with the media. Morrell revealed recently that Benavidez had nothing to say to him during their face-off and was a different person, keeping his mouth closed.
Morrell noticed how Benavidez only started opening his yap to talk mess after he was out of sight, seeing that the coast was clear. He feels that he shows the true colors of the Mexican Monster. In other words, he talks big when he’s not in front of him, but when he’s in his presence, he’s as mild as a lamb.
The Thin-skinned Monster
Benavidez has seemed angry since the fight with Cuban Morrell was announced, and it’s clear that he’s hyper-sensitive to the belief many boxing fans have that he has avoided this fight for over two years.
When Benavidez, 27, speaks, he sounds thin-skinned and touchy about having no desire to face the talented Cuban. It’s okay. Benavidez is afraid of Morrell because many fighters are. If he loses this fight, he can forget about the dreams of a mega-payday facing the winner of the February 22nd clash between undis[uted light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
This is by far the most talented fighter Benavidez will have faced during his 11-year professional career, and it’s coming at a time when he can least afford a loss. There’s a big fight there for him if he’s victorious against Morrell. If Benavidez is beaten on February 1st, he can forget about it, and it might take him years to get back to where he was.
‘The Mexican Monster’ Benavidez likes to portray himself as being fearless, but the fact that he didn’t want to fight Morrell showed a different color. He does have fear, and some believe that he only took the fight due to Morrell looking human for the first time in his career against veteran Radivoje Kalajdzic (29-3, 21 KOs) on August 3rd.
Morrell still won the fight by a one-sided 12-round decision, showing more power than undisputed champion Artur Beterbiev or any of the top fighters at 175. The shots that Morrell was hitting Kalajdzic during that fight would have knocked out anyone in the division and could have finished him off if he had bombarded him after hurting him three times in the fight.
Benavidez’s Flaws
As we saw in his debut at 175 against faded former WBC champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk, Benavidez lacks power for this division. His punches appeared weak compared to Gvozdyk’s and looked out of place. Benavidez took a beating in that fight, which many fans believe should have been scored as a draw. However, his lack of upper body strength is the real problem.
David’s upper body is like the arms of the extinct T-Rex dinosaur—they’re like vestigial features. He doesn’t have power for the light heavyweight division. If Benavidez hit the weight room, he might be able to develop some power, but not in time for his match against Morrell. It’s too late for that.
Time And Location Of Media Workout
BOXR Gym
1310 NE 1st Ave
Miami, FL 33132
When:
Tuesday, December 17
11:30 a.m. ET – Media Arrival
12:00 p.m. ET – Morrell Workout
12:30 p.m. ET – Moderator Q&A & Fighter Face Off
1:00 p.m. ET – Benavidez Workout
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