David Benavidez shoves David Morrell during Miami workout

David Morrell Jnr’s arrival to the spotlight came with a shove and the boxing world felt it. 

What started as a routine media workout in Miami on Tuesday to promote his February 1 clash with undefeated David Benavidez quickly fell into chaos, with a push that turned heads and injected real heat into an otherwise predictable scene. 

For the past few years Morrell has been seen as boxing’s boogeyman, a high-risk, low-reward enigma most fighters conveniently avoided. Too dangerous to face, yet too unknown to make the risk worth it, the fast-tracked Cuban boxer Morrell has never been treated as a prospect. Within three fights, he was fighting 12-rounders.

Now, with a career-defining bout locked in against Benavidez at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Morrell finally has his marquee moment: two undefeated super middleweights who moved up to light heavyweight, each staring down the toughest opponent of their careers.

Morrell’s brother set the stage with fiery words, prompting Morrell to grin at the end of his workout and say, “He’s talking shit; I’m talking shit too.” Mexican music played as Benavidez entered, decked out in designer clothes and sunglasses, offering to shake Morrell’s hand. Morrell stood emotionless, arms at his sides. Benavidez removed his shades, flashing a grin that hinted at more fight than friendliness. Seconds later, it happened. Benavidez shoved Morrell, and Morrell fired back by flinging a title belt he posed with just minutes early at Benavidez, who ducked it. Security scrambled to separate the two.

The takeaway? This wasn’t theater. This wasn’t marketing. It was two men, feared, avoided, and prideful, realizing they’ve finally met their match.

Morrell, 11-0 (9 KOs), will be fighting at light heavyweight for just the second time in his career. He saw a seven-fight knockout streak end in his debut at 175lbs against Radivoje “Hot Rod” Kalajdzic in August at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. Morrell’s aggressive style saw him searching for a knockout early but left him visibly fatigued in the second half of the fight.

To understand what is on the line you have to revisit the super middleweight landscape Morrell entered. Morrell turned pro in August 2019. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez dominated the division, becoming the undisputed champion while David Benavidez relentlessly pursued a fight with Alvarez. That matchup never materialized, and Morrell, looking for a big fight, set his sights on Benavidez, who was looking to land a fight with Alvarez. Now, both fighters have moved up in weight, all but closing the door on an Alvarez-Benavidez while cracking open one of the most exciting matchups of the year.

“It is my moment,” Morrell said in English at Tuesday’s workout. “I am so excited for February 1.”

Benavidez, 29-0 (21 KOs), is now training in Miami. In his last fight, he debuted at light heavyweight with a unanimous decision win over former titleholder Oleksandr Gvozdyk. Before that, Benavidez cemented his place as one of boxing’s elite with dominant wins over former titleholders Caleb Plant and Demetrius Andrade at super middleweight. Both fights were pay-per-view headliners.

Dressed in all white at the workout (with black compression pants), Morrell looked more than ready. He offered little in the way of theatrics, spending most of his media workout time stretching, skipping rope, and basic shadowboxing. What stood out was his demeanor, his genuine excitement at the magnitude of the moment, as he often smiled.

Miami also held significance for Morrell, who defected from Cuba and considers the city a second home.

“I am going to have Cuba on my mind,” Morrell said through a translator, opting to speak in Spanish when reflecting on his family’s influence and his motivations for fight night.