Benavidez-Morel: Can “The Mexican Monster” win his first A-level test?

David Benavidez is counting on his professional experience to carry him to victory in their 12-round fight against undefeated David Morrell on February 1st on Prime Video PPV on PBC.

The ‘Monster of Mexico’ Benavidez has predicted that he will soon be the “face of boxing” and sees this fight as “dominating”. It’s clear that Morale isn’t short on confidence going into battle.

Benavidez’s faith

David Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) says he can’t wait to add Morel’s WBA ‘regular’ light heavyweight title to his collection. He currently holds the WBC interim 175-lb belt, a title that would guarantee him a title shot against champion Artur Beterbiev if he wins against Morel.

Benavidez-Morel is headlining the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. This is a fight that many boxing fans see as 50-50, but not Benavidez. He sees it as a sure thing for him, but it is.

If he were to fight Beterbiev, Jay Opetaya, or Daniel Dubois, he could be sure to win. He’s one of the biggest egos in campaign form at 168 years old, and he’s yet to fight an A-rank fighter in his career.

Morel is the closest thing to being such a fighter. That’s what makes it so exciting: Benavidez will have to show if he’s as good as he thinks he is. I feel like he’s not because his brother Jose Benavidez Jr. is the same way. Every time an A-level protest is raised, it disappears. This will be Benavidez’s first time, and he will likely lose.

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Joel Hernandez vs. Angel Ruiz Astorga
Isaac Cruz vs. Angel Fierro Barreda
Jesus Alejandro Ramos Jr. vs. Jason Rosario
Mirko Kulo vs. Christian Olivo

experience and power

“I don’t see amateurism as any[benefit]. This is not an amateur fight,” said David Benavidez. Media David Morrell when asked about his experience since his days as a Cuban amateur star.

“This is a 12-round championship fight. Because of the amateur (experience), it may be useful for three rounds, but other than that, three rounds mean nothing. I’ve been with better fighters, and bigger places and bigger battles. This is the third PPV or fourth.

“So I have experience on my side. I don’t think he’s been involved with anything like that and I’m going to try to show why I’m on a different level. He knew he bit off a bigger part than he could chew,” Benavidez said of Morel.

Amateur experience is important when a fighter has the kind of success Morel had in Cuba. As an amateur, he was 130-2, and if he can handle Benavidez’s pressure, that could impact the fight. Morel cannot move for 12 rounds.

If he tries to move like he did in his debut at 175 against Radivoje Kalajdic on August 3, he will lose a decision. Benavidez will have the advantage in punch output, but Morel can take him by knocking him down. That’s what it should do.

Benavidez has a thick skull and seems to shoot like nothing. Oleksandr Gvozdyk’s full force punches had no effect, and they were more powerful than what he connected. He took them. However, Morel hits more and does not tire himself like Gvozdik movement. The 37-year-old looked tired and old from his fight with Benavidez last June.

“I know what I can do. Every top fighter says the same thing, but after they get in the ring with me, they say, ‘David Benavidez is on a different level.’ I was really inspired. I was happy to go in there and get that WBA belt. I don’t have one of those. So, I’m very excited to have one of those in my collection,” said Benavidez.

The ‘Mexican Monster’ has yet to fight a “super fighter” during his career. I don’t know if Morel is a “high-caliber” fighter, but Benavidez is fighting at a higher level than the best guys he’s ever fought.

Morale’s strength and technical skill make him a threat, especially with the way Benavidez focuses on pressing everything he throws at him. He is reckless in the way he fights, and will eventually get knocked out in that fight. Will Morel do this? We don’t know. But I wasn’t shocked.

So it is not clear who he is talking about. His best wins are over 37-year-old Oleksandr Gvozdyk, 36-year-old Demetrius Andrade and Caleb Plant. Those are not “high quality” fighters.

Andrade was a good fighter years ago at 154, but he was old and small against Benavidez at 168. David looked too big for Andrade to drink water and he didn’t look like a super middleweight. There was no way Demetrius was going to beat Benavidez more than he did. All things being equal and Andrade being young and the fight taking place in At 154 in 2012, he had a chance, but at 168 it was against Benavidez, a much smaller light heavyweight.

Gozdyk retired for four years after losing to Artur Beterbiev in 2019. He returned and beat two cans of tomatoes before being picked by the Benanvidez administration. This was not the original version of Oleksandr, who lost to Beterbiev and beat Adonis Stevenson.

Box face?

“This is my control. I feel like I can control this by watching the fighters in Vegas. I really enjoy and give great fights. I want this for myself. I want to show people that I am the best. When I go in there, everyone sees the level now. I’m excited to make my dream come true and be the face of boxing,” said Benavidez.

It will be difficult to become the ‘face of boxing’ without beating Benavidez Morel or Arthur Beterbiev from Dimitri Bivol 2. The way Benavidez presses on every punch, putting everything in, he’s going to be in trouble against Morel or Beterbiev.

The way Benavidez fought Oleksandr Gvozdyk last June hurt him badly. Fortunately, Gvozdyk was mostly pushing his punches and not putting too much power on them. In the second half, he lit up Benavidez with headers when he started to press the ball.

In the last 30 seconds of the 12th, Benavidez landed a right hand to the body. Morel is faster, younger and more powerful than Gvozdyk. Hurts Benavidez. I don’t think ‘The Mexican Monster’ can change because he always fights and can’t box. When it is outside, it is loaded on wild hooks, and this will be a problem for Morel. He counters, and we could see a one-punch knockout victory for Morel.