Saul “Canelo” Alvarez’s refusal to face his top two challengers while undisputed super middleweight champion forced those two men, David Benavidez and David Morrell, into a high-stakes showdown this Saturday night. Benavidez and Morrell both moved to light heavyweight after failing to secure fights with Alvarez. Now, they meet with a potential shot at the undisputed light heavyweight championship on the line.
Benavidez (29-0, 24 KO) twice held the WBC super middleweight title and never lost the title in the ring. After winning the title the first time with a split decision over Ronald Gavril in 2017, he successfully defended the belt in their 2018 rematch. Later that year, it was reported that Benavidez tested positive for cocaine in a Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency drug test and was stripped of his title and handed a four-month suspension.
Benavidez would regain the title in his second fight after his suspension, stopping Anthony Dirrell in the ninth round of their title bout. He would never defend that title, failing to make weight for his first planned defense against Roamer Alexis Angulo and being stripped of the belt again.
More dominance of the division continued for Benavidez in the ring, including picking up the WBC interim title in 2022. Alvarez collected all four world titles at 168 pounds but repeatedly blew off any talk of facing Benavidez, the clear top contender for his championships.
As it became increasingly clear that a fight with one of boxing’s biggest stars was never going to come to fruition, Benavidez made the jump to 175 pounds where he again picked up a WBC interim title by defeating former world champ Oleksandr Gvozdyk. The fight with Gvozdyk proved a bit more difficult than expected, partially because of torn hand ligaments suffered prior to the bout and partially because Benavidez’s endurance seemed to fail him as the fight hit the later rounds.
Morrell (11-0, 9 KO) also spent plenty of time as an Alvarez mandatory challenger and would have been seen as a very legitimate opponent for the Mexican superstar. Despite winning the WBA “regular” championship in just his fifth professional fight and making five consecutive defenses, Morrell was facing the same lack of interest from Alvarez and also made the jump to 175 pounds, defeating Radivoje Kalajdzic to win the “regular” title at the new weight.
Like Benavidez’s division-welcoming fight with Gvozdyk, Morrell struggled at times in his light heavyweight debut, taking a decision over Radivoje Kalajdzic in a fight that was much closer than the official scorecards indicated. Prior to that fight, only two of Morrell’s opponents had managed to last past the fourth round.
The prize that eluded both men at super middleweight — a fight with multiple world championships on the line — seems to be in reach now. The winner will become the obvious challenger for the winner of the rematch between undisputed light heavyweight champ Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol, which takes place on Feb. 22.
Benavidez vs. Morrell fight card, odds
- David Benavidez -230 vs. David Morrell +180, light heavyweights
- Brandon Figueroa (c) -185 vs. Stephen Fulton +150, WBC featherweight title
- Isaac Cruz -900 vs. Angel Fierro +550, junior welterweights
- Jesus Ramos -2500 vs. Jeison Rosario +1100, junior middleweights
- Mirco Cuello -650 vs. Christian Olivo Barreda +450, featherweights
- Yoenli Hernandez -2500 vs. Angel Ruiz Astorga +1100, middleweights
- Kaipo Gallegos -600 vs. Leonardo Padilla +425, junior lightweights
- Jose Benavidez Jr. -1100 vs. Danny Rosenberger +650, middleweights
- Daniel Blancas -2000 vs. Juan Barajas +900, super middleweights
- Curmel Moton -4000 vs. Frank Zaldivar +1200, lightweights
Where to watch Benavidez vs. Morrell Jr.
- Date: Feb. 1 | Start time: 8 p.m. ET (main card)
- Location: T-Mobile Arena — Las Vegas
- TV channel/stream: Amazon PPV ($79.99)
Prediction
This fight could well come down to which man has made the bigger adjustments to being at light heavyweight. As talented as both men are, there’s no getting around the fact that both were less than their usual stellar selves in their first fights at the weight. It is worth mentioning that neither man took a light touch in their 175-pound debuts but they just didn’t look as dominant as they had been for years at super middleweight.
Morrell has been a thudding puncher for most of his career, blasting out opponents with power that is only improved by having solid technique as an accomplished amateur. Benavidez’s style is a bit more raw, though it has always been effective and he’s clearly sharpened his tools as his career has progressed.
If the fight breaks down into a firefight, either man has the power to land a fight-ending shot. Morrell could look at Benavidez fading late in his most recent fight as a sign he needs to try to pick spots to push the pace and drag things into the later rounds to truly take over while Benavidez. That said, it would be surprising to see either man take a particularly safe approach in the fight and Benavidez’s higher level of professional experience should make him more comfortable in edging out the fight. Pick: David Benavidez via MD
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