Shawn Porter gives David Benavidez a slight edge over David Morrell in “beautiful fight”

Former WBC welterweight titleholder Shawn Porter thinks David Benavidez-David Morrell is an even fight.

Benavidez, of Arizona, and Cuba’s Morrell will lock horns on February 1 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in a 175-pound contest – with the winner expected to meet whoever emerges champion of the undisputed light heavyweight championship rematch between Russian greats Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.

Porter, speaking in an interview with Fight Hub TV, spoke highly of the matchup.

“That’s a 50-50 fight right there,” said Porter. “If anything at all, 55-45 for Benavidez. I love everything about the fight and the thing I feel that Benavides has over Morrell is experience and true strength.

“Both of those guys are big guys, but I think they are gonna be more of the natural 175 pounders.”

Porter went on to tout the 29-0 (24 KOs) Benavidez’s experience which he believes could offer the Arizona native an advantage in the fight.

“When you’ve had that experience of having resistance at different points in the fight, it’s nothing new to you. Morrell has not had resistance. His fight with Hot Rod [Kalajdzic], that was a different kind of resistance. That was the resistance of somebody staying away from you.

“You know what I mean? Benavidez can bang with him. He’s just as fast. He can box with him and that sort of resistance, it plays a mental game with you, and it becomes a motor roller coaster ride. David’s been on that road on that ride. Morrell hasn’t. Well, let me say, Benavidez has been on that ride.”

Porter warned Benavidez to be wary of the 11-0 (9 KOs) Morrell’s size and height.

When asked if he expects Benavidez to dominate the fight like he did against Demetrius Andrade in June last year, Porter said “I could see eight, nine rounds before something like that could happen to Morrell. Because Morrell is bigger than everybody else.

“He’s taller than everybody else. He’s fast, just as fast as everybody else. Probably stronger than everybody else. So, I mean, the resistance of both ends is a beautiful fight.

Bernard Neequaye is a sports journalist with a specialty in boxing coverage. He wrote a boxing column titled “From The Ringside” in his native Ghana for years. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) at @BernardNeequaye, LinkedIn at Bernard Neequaye and through email at [email protected].