David Benavidez defeats David Morrell Jr. confidently on points – what’s next? Benavidez is aiming for a world title fight against the winner of Beterbiev vs Bivol 2. A fight against Canelo is out of the question.
David Benavidez (30-0, 24 knockouts) has confirmed his status as one of the best light heavyweights in the world. He defeated Cuban David Morrell Jr. (11-1-0) by unanimous decision on points at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on February 2. The judges scored the fight 118:108, 115:111 and 115:111 in favor of Benavidez.
The US-American started dominantly and put Morrell under pressure from the first bell. He exposed the Cuban’s weaknesses with hard body strikes and precise combinations. Morrell held his ground, but Benavidez scored more often and with greater effect.
David Benavidez survives defeat
Benavidez had to survive a brief scare in the eleventh round. Morrell hit him with a right hook and sent him to the floor. However, Benavidez got up again immediately and continued to control the fight. A point deduction for Morrell after a punch after the bell wiped out his round advantage.
“I wasn’t really hurt,” said Benavidez after the fight. “It was a punch that knocked me off balance.”
Morrell showed great resilience and good stamina. However, he ultimately had no answer to Benavidez’s punching power and technique. Even before the official verdict was announced, he acknowledged his opponent’s superiority and raised his arm in the air.
What are David Benavidez’s prospects now?
With this victory, David Benavidez remains unbeaten and improves his record to 30-0 (24 knockouts). In addition to the interim WBC title, he also secured the regular WBA light heavyweight title. This gives him the best chance of a title fight against the winner of the rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol on February 22.
“I’m ready for the next step,” said Benavidez. “No matter who wins, I want to fight for the world championship.” A move back to super-middleweight to fight Canelo Álvarez is out of the question for him. “I’m staying at light heavyweight,” Benavidez made clear. His future lies in this weight class, in which he is aiming for more big fights.
Text: Andreas Ohlberger
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