Boxing continues to produce mammoth showdowns in 2024, and it just added another one. Two-time former WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez will take on top contender David Morrell, Benavidez announced on Tuesday. He did not specify a date or location. Premier Boxing Champions, the promoter for both fighters, has yet to make an announcement regarding the fight.
“There was a lot of names on the table, but I wanted to give my fans the best fight possible,” Benavidez wrote on social media. “I reached out to David Morrell and his team to make this happen and we got the contract done. This fight really gonna be a banger. Two of the best in the division and two titles on the line.”
Benavidez and Morrell were long stalwarts one division down at 168 pounds. But both were being stonewalled by previously undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez, who refused to grant either a title shot despite being top options — and holding positions as sanctioning body mandatories — for him to defend his crown against. Alvarez instead opted for challengers like Edgar Berlanga and Jaime Munguia.
Instead of continuing to wait and hope for a call to come, both fighters decided to make the move up to light heavyweight where there were more options. Benavidez bested Oleksandr Gvozdyk in June to claim the interim WBC title in the division.
Morrell, meanwhile, took care of business against Radivoje Kalajdzic in his debut at 175 pounds. The winner of the bout will become a mandatory challenger for the winner of Saturday’s undisputed showdown between Artur Beterbiev (WBC, IBF and WBO) and Dmitry Bivol (WBA) in Saudi Arabia.
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