David Benavidez seemed ready to rumble at the Thursday press conference to hype the Saturday night clash with David Morrell Jr. at T-Mobile in Las Vegas. He’d called his foe a scared cat and more, I’m sure, but the stream stalled and we didn’t hear the light heavyweight rumbler offer his prediction.
Basically, we were left wanting more and will just have to pony up (PPV.com-$79.99) to satisfy our collective curiosity. Miguel Flores presided over the event, which Premier Boxing Champions are putting together. The main event is part of a four-bout PPV slate, promoter Tom Brown told the assembled.
At the lectern, Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) thanked his peeps. He called Morrell a “pu$sy” and said he looked “scared as f*ck.”
The Cuban Morrell beat Hot Rod Kaladzjic in his last outing, but not as widely as pundits would’ve presumed. In Spanish, the 11-0 boxer promised the best version of himself Saturday night. He signed off with “peace and love.” That vibe irked Benavidez, who wondered where previous angry energy went.
The Cuban said he wants to end “the myth” that “Monster” talk is overblown. The 28-year-old Benavidez called Morrell a “p*ssy” for throwing his belt at Benavidez the month before in Miami. They went back and forth during the Q&A, which saw Flores in the middle.
Sampson Speaks
Sampson Lewkowicz spoke on behalf of his fighter Benavidez, but the promoter also called for rhetorical peace after hearing Benavidez going at it with Morrell and his management/promo team.
He winced when Benavidez told Morrell to “get the d*ck outta” his mouth and then proceeded to stand up and move toward Morrell. They stood and yelled and wagged fingers as Flores sought calm. Order was restored: Flores noted that Morrell has not been so animated in prior situations. He said this is because Benavidez has been disrespectful to him.
“I have the strongest fighting spirit in all of boxing,” Benavidez declared when asked if he likes getting animus toward his foes.
The Stream Stalled At The Finale
“Saturday night is going to be a spectacle” and the havoc has already started @OsvaryJ.
🔗 Order #BenavidezMorrell NOW on PPV: https://t.co/9aI7AJEcHx pic.twitter.com/6VVylrfyTY
— Premier Boxing Champions (@premierboxing) January 30, 2025
Some of us wonder how Morrell will handle the extra pressure of a big platform fight promotion. “There is no pressure, no spotlight I’m afraid of,” the Cuban said. His prediction? “I am one hundred percent knocking out David Benavidez,” he said, though the feed stopped, then re-started, sans audio.
Watchers cracked that ICE shut it down and wondered if a faceoff was done. I didn’t see if they faced the fighters off or kept them separated as a hedge.
Trainers Talk
Morrell’s trainer, Ronnie Shields, said at the mic that this match is an example of “the best fighting the best.” Jose Benavidez Sr. then stated his kid would be engaged in a “great fight.”
Fulton and Figueroa Promise Strong Sequel
“Lets run it back and give the fight fans another fight of the year.” – @BrandonLeeFig #FigueroaFulton2
🔗 Order #BenavidezMorrell NOW on PPV: https://t.co/9aI7AJEcHx pic.twitter.com/gcJaG7bPk8
— Premier Boxing Champions (@premierboxing) January 30, 2025
Stephen Fulton and Brandon Figueroa spoke about their rematch, the co-main event.
The 30-year-old Philly fighter beat Figueroa in November 2021. He said he is dialed in and ready to show his stuff. You recall he lost to Naoya Inoue conclusively in 2023 and bounced back with a win over Carlos Castro in 2024.
Figueroa (age 28; 25-1-1), aka The Heartbreaker, said it feels “like a new era in boxing.” The WBC super featherweight crown will be up for grabs. He said he feels great at 126, stronger than at 122.
Pitbull vs. Fierro: A Mexican vs Mexican Special
Isaac Cruz (age 26; 26-3-1) kept it real short. The hitter said his super lightweight battle will be “great.” He comes in after a loss to Rayo Valenzuela. “It was an overall lesson,” he said, the “L” helped him know what he needed to improve upon. His foe, Angel Fierro (23-2-2; age 26), promised a fan-friendly faceoff. “It’s gonna be an all-out war,” he said of the all-Mexican pairing.
Ramos Jr vs. Rosario To Open
.@jesusramosjr_ is excited to get back into the ring and put on a show Saturday night. #RamosRosario
🔗 Order #BenavidezMorrell NOW on PPV: https://t.co/9aI7AJEcHx pic.twitter.com/9gHcMnZx9Q
— Premier Boxing Champions (@premierboxing) January 30, 2025
Jeison Rosario promised his fight against Jesus Ramos Jr., the PPV opener, would be entertaining. Ramos said he is happy to be back after gloving up last May. The 23-year-old lefty holds a 21-1 mark, while the 24-4-2 Dominican is 29 years old.
Ramos didn’t sound scared that Rosario wanted to “rip his head off.” He said he is now eager to win by KO; it’s what the people want. Rosario said he will win and it will be “the biggest upset” of the evening.
My Three Cents
Argh. That was annoying, the stream getting garbled. It feels like par for the course, sadly, as boxing fans have not been treated like royalty overall in the shift to streaming content. Speaking as a consumer overall, I think many/most of us find ourselves being disappointed with tech overall as we move off cable chord setups.
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