Promoter Eddie Hearn predicts this Saturday’s David Benavidez vs. David Morrell event won’t be a PPV success on PBC on Prime Video on February 1st. Hearn says it hasn’t “sold at the gate” at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

(Credit: Mark Hafey/Premier Boxing Champions)

Morrell’s Unknown

The six-year pro Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs) isn’t well known to fans to make them want to purchase the event on pay-per-view. Morrell had outstanding amateur credentials while on the Cuban national team, but he hasn’t been seen enough by American fans for the event to sell.

Hearn states that Morrell, 27, isn’t known by fans, which will hurt the PPV’s success. Benavidez needed a better-known fighter to bring in the buys. If Benavidez loses this fight, he’s sunk. He’ll never be a PPV star and would have to focus on his plan B, moving up to cruiserweight.

What Hearn is leaving out is that Benavidez isn’t a PPV draw, either. And while hardcore boxing fans know him well, he’s not a big name among casual fans, and he’s not been a PPV attraction. Benavidez didn’t bring in big PPV numbers for his fights against Caleb Plant and Demetrius Andrade. Those are the biggest names on his 12-year resume.

Benavidez would be a far more popular fighter if he’d moved up to 175 years ago rather than staying at 168, chasing a fight against Canelo Alvarez. That’s the reason he stayed at Super Middleweight all these years. Benavidez had hoped to get a lucrative fight against Canelo, but it never happened.

“I’ll tell you something right now. Not a lot, and it hasn’t sold very well at the gate,” said Eddie Hearn to Pro Boxing Fans when asked how many PPV buys David Benavidez vs. David Morrell event will bring in on PBC on Prime Video this Saturday night.

“What I will tell you is that it’s a fantastic fight. The problem is with that fight is no one knows who David Morrell is, and it’s a really good fight,” said Hearn.

Can They Sell?

The Benavidez-Morrell undercard features two excellent fights: WBC featherweight champion Brandon Figueroa vs. Stephen Fulton in a rematch and former WBA light welterweight champion Issac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz vs. Angel Fierro. However, those two contests aren’t big enough to compensate for the lack of name recognition for the Benavidez vs. Morrell main event.

The six-year pro Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs) isn’t well known to fans to make them want to purchase the event on pay-per-view. Morrell had outstanding amateur credentials while on the Cuban national team, but he hasn’t been seen enough by American fans for the event to sell.

Unfortunately, the 175-lb division lacks popular fighters besides Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. Those guys are already tied up.

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