We are building up to a light heavyweight fight, which will provide viewers with a clash of styles. David Benavidez (29-0, 24KOs) and David Morrell (11-0, 9KOs) are getting set to meet at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on February 1.
With Benavidez being the better known of the two, due to his longer time in boxing’s professional ranks, Morrell has a good opportunity to make a name for himself in what is undoubtedly the biggest fight of his short professional career so far. Both boxers made the decision to move up to light heavyweight from super middleweight last year and both deserve credit for deciding to challenge themselves with this fight at the moment instead of waiting to see how the world title picture shakes out at 175 pounds after the Artur Beterbiev – Dmitry Bivol on February 22.
The winner of Saturday’s fight will be in the picture to face the February 22 victor and box for all the belts in the division. Will it be Morrell who puts himself forward for that future assignment? Does he currently have enough pro experience to get the better of Benavidez on Saturday night?
Who Is David Morrell?
Morrell is a 27-year-old southpaw who hails from Santa Clara, Cuba. Standing 6’1 and with a reported amateur record of 130-5, he has all the fundamentals required to be successful in professional boxing.
The mere mention of the words ‘Cuban’ and ‘southpaw’ conjure up images and memories of gifted ring technicians like Erislandy Lara and Guillermo Rigondeaux – compatriots of Morrell who learned to box at the Cuban school as youngsters. While those boxers perfected their craft but often left fans wanting more in terms of punch output, Morrell seems to understand the importance of boxing in an attacking manner and attempting to close the show when possible.
After relocating to Minnesota, USA, Morrell turned pro and debuted in boxing’s paid ranks in August 2019. Beginning in the 168-pound division, Morrell stopped his first two opponents early before being taken the distance by Lennox Allen in his third outing. The Allen bout was won convincingly, earning Morrell a secondary title from the WBA. The fact he was boxing for a belt in just his third fight as a pro tells us how highly thought of Morrell is by his team.
Between 2021 and 2023, Morrell boxed seven times – winning each bout by stoppage. It was becoming clear that his skills, mixed with his physical strength and power, were too much for most fighters operating at super middleweight. This is something Morrell has in common with his upcoming opponent.
Notable Fighters Morrell has Defeated and Stepping up to 175
After winning the aforementioned secondary world title, Morrell expressed his ambition to face the best the super middleweight division had to offer, but in the main, he had to be content with defending his title.
So far, two of the best names on his résumé are Alantez Fox and Aidos Yerbossynuly. Both Fox and Yerbossynuly had far more pro experience than Morrell when he faced them, but that didn’t hinder him in dispatching both – Fox was stopped in the fourth round while Yerbossynuly made it to the final round but failed to hear the bell as he was floored twice before referee Tony Weeks stopped proceedings.
Morrell’s final bout in the super middleweight division took place in December 2023 when he made light work of then 28-2 Sena Agbeko of Ghana. With all the titles at 168 being held by Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and no fight against the Mexican materializing, Morrell decided to take his talents to the light heavyweight division.
The first, and so far only, assignment for Morrell at 175 pounds was experienced Serbian/American Radivoje Kalajdzic (29-2, 21 KOs when the bout took place in August 2024). Similar to Benavidez when he moved up in weight class, Morrell found that his power and physicality weren’t guaranteed to stop light heavyweight opponents.
Instead, Morrell relied on his ring craft to win convincingly on the scorecards. He was made to work for the victory by Kalajdzic – something that will serve Morrell well as he continues in the light heavyweight division.
Examining Morrell’s Boxing Style
As hinted at already, Morrell brings elite skills and a very high boxing IQ to the ring. He is probably best described as a boxer-puncher who uses clever footwork to open up angles for delivering his punches.
His arsenal also includes notable power, speed and defensive awareness. As his record suggests, Morrell knows how to finish an opponent when the time is right. Speaking of finishing, so far, we have seen Morrell fight with an aggressive mindset, blending a true professional style with everything he learned during his formative years in the Cuban amateur system.
Perhaps the best attribute Morrell has developed from amateur boxing into his pro repertoire is the way he uses feints. Along with being part of his defense, Morrell often feints to confuse his opponents before attacking them from unexpected angles. It’s a clever use of a simple technique, something to look for during Saturday’s contest.
What Can Make the Difference for Morrell on Feb 1?
Going into what is widely acknowledged as his toughest fight so far, it is the feints that could swing things in Morrell’s favor. It will be easier said than done but feinting in irregular patterns throughout the fight could knock Benavidez out of his rhythm and slow down his signature punching combinations. Morrell can also take advantage of the successful use of his feints by punching through Benavidez’s attacks – it would turn moments in the fight that would seem to favor Benavidez on their head. It could be how Morrell establishes dominance in the contest.
Of course, for Morrell to win, he must put everything together on Saturday night and remain fully focused for the fight’s duration. Approaching his highest risk fight so far, Morrell can trouble and possibly beat Benavidez. Will the technical boxer be able to neutralize the offensive aggression of Benavidez often enough to control the bout? He’s definitely capable of it. We will find out on Saturday if Morrell’s skills can get the job done. It should be a captivating fight.
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