Great eras and great fights are often born in the most unexpected of ways.
In trying to fill the void left by Sugar Ray Leonard’s retirement, Marvelous Marvin Hagler performed cautiously against Roberto Duran and Thomas Hearns did so ferociously a few months later. The result was Hagler and Hearns fighting each other in 1985 and carving out their own legends in a fight that made people forget about Leonard.
Thirty years later, the two boxing Davids – Benavidez and Morrell – are battling to create their own legacies without the assistance of modern-day superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. And their paths are as divergent as their personalities are intense, as WBA light heavyweight champ David Morrell and interim WBC titlist David Benavidez meet in the first big fight of 2025 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (8 p.m. Eastern, Saturday, PPV.com).
THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD
Benavidez, 29-0 (24 knockouts), Las Vegas-by-way-of-Phoenix, is a two-division titlist who first won the WBC super-middleweight title in 2017 with a decision over Ronald Gavril, who dropped the “Mexican Monster” in the final round to start an exciting and often unpredictable set of 168-pound title reigns. He beat Gavril easier in the 2018 rematch and showed more wrinkles in his game. More movement, more picking his shots and less getting hit. Benavidez was on his way – or so it seemed.
A positive test for cocaine was found in his urine sample, and he was stripped of his crown. He regained the same title with a ninth-round battering of Andre Dirrell in 2019. It was another impressive showing, and again, it looked like Benavidez was on the way to bigger and better things. But he was again stripped of the title – this time for failing to make weight against Roamer Angulo in 2020.
Benavidez began to develop the reputation of a talented and exciting but undisciplined and unpredictable fighter. But it lit a fire, and he went on a tear from there, knocking out Ronald Ellis (TKO 11), Kyrone David (TKO 7) and David Lemieux (TKO 3) to set up a showdown with Caleb Plant in March 2023. Benavidez out-slugged Plant to register a bruising 12-round decision. The fight figured to set up the long-talked-about fight with Canelo. It didn’t happen, so Benavidez continued to pursue big-name opponents, knocking out the previously undefeated Demetrius Andrade in six rounds in November 2023.
The call for a Canelo fight was strong, but the Mexican superstar continued to ignore Benavidez.
Last June, Benavidez officially moved up in weight seven pounds and handed former light heavyweight champ Oleksandr Gvozdyk his second pro defeat with a hard-fought unanimous decision to earn the interim WBC 175-pound crown. Assuming Canelo is again unavailable, the Mexican Monster is hoping another big win could lead to a crack at the winner of the February 22 light heavyweight unification rematch between Arthur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
A SHORTER, EXPLOSIVE JOURNEY
Morrell, 11-0 (9 KO’s), Minneapolis-by-way-of-Cuba, hasn’t had to travel Benavidez’ long, winding road. An accomplished amateur molded in the traditional Cuban school of fine boxing, the southpaw has instead had a short, explosive ascension to the top of the professional ranks.
He made history in just his third pro fight, winning the WBA super middleweight title with a 12-round decision over Lennox Allen in August 2020. He joined Saensak Muangsurin and Vasyl Lomachenko as the only fighters in history to win a world title after just a trio of fights. Since then, Morrell has been the opposite of a fine boxer – he’s been a murderous knockout artist. Between 2021-23, Morrell blitzed Mario Abel Cazares (KO 1), Alantez Fox (TKO 4), Kalvin Henderson (TKO 4), Aidos Yerbossynuly (KO 12), Yamaguchi Falcao (KO 1) and Sena Agbeko (TKO 2).
In August, he got back to his amateur roots and outboxed Serbia’s Radivoje Kalajdzic over 12 to win the WBA regular light heavyweight title. It reminded people that Morrell’s background is more than power – that he has some brains to his brawn. But, like Hearns, Morrell has seemed to mentally evolve into a puncher after an amateur career spent on his toes.
Both he and Benavidez have promised fireworks and violent endings.
GO WITH DAVID BENAVIDEZ
After years of mystery as to his true worth and criticism for being a “weight bully” at 168, we will finally get answers about Benavidez. This is easily the most threatening opponent of his career.
Morrell is a year younger at age 27, he is just as tall (he is 6-foot-1 to Benavidez’s 6-2) and he has a reach that is four inches longer at 78 inches. The Cuban throws his power punches in combination and is a strong finisher. He often comes looking for the knockout and has very fast hands. In addition to firing a cannon-like right-left combination to the head, he digs well to the body with the right hand. His left is one of the best punches in boxing.
Benavidez, of course, is a formidable pressure fighter who uses his size, strength and power to overwhelm opponents. He too, can punch upstairs and downstairs and has a strong killer instinct – always looking to get guys out of there. And, also like Morrell, Benavidez can box when he needs to. He has good movement, uses angles and feinting and also has good hand speed.
Both fighters deserve credit for taking on their most dangerous foes in an era where the trend is to sit and wait for a big payday. Though it might’ve been better at 168 pounds, this is truly a fascinating fight. Because of the longer, tougher road he’s traveled over a 12-year career – Morrell’s is half of that – Benavidez has the advantage here. He’s fought a larger array of styles and gained invaluable pro and championship experience against the likes of Plant, Andrade and Gvozdyk – and he’ll need every bit of it to reject the challenge of Morrell, who still tends to wing shots with abandon and has skills that are less refined.
In a wild fight that’ll feature a few knockdowns and wild shifts in momentum, go with the guy with the seasoning. Benavidez by 9th round knockout.
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