Via Dan Ambrose: Jose Benavidez Jr called up WBA super-middleweight champion David Morrell Jr to face his son, WBC 168-lb interim champion David Benavidez next.
Morrell (7-0.6 KO) has expressed interest in going up against Benavidez (26-0.23 KO), and now it’s just a matter of promoters for the two boxers to arrange the match. together.
Both fighters want to fight undisputed super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez, but it’s uncertain which of the two will be hit next year.
Canelo had a good track record with bouts with Gennady Golovkin in September, a busy run in December, and a rematch with WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol in May 2023.
The unbeaten Morrell (7-0.6 KOs), who hails from Cuba, quickly claimed a world title with the WBA in just four games and has successfully defended it three times.
Recently, Morrell defeated his competitor Kalvin Henderson in the knockout round in the fourth round on June 4.
“All the trash you’re talking about. No more running, let’s make this fight happen. Jose Benavidez Sr said, calling the usual super-middleweight champion David Morrell of the WBA to take on his son, Benavidez.
There will be plenty of interest from heavyweight boxing fans in the fight between Benavidez and Morrell. However, casual fans won’t notice this fight in the same way, and it won’t garner the same amount of interest.
Two-time former WBC super-middleweight champion Benavidez has been bursting with competition since losing the 168-lb WBC title on the scale in a fight with Roamer Alexis Angulo in 2020.
It was not easy for Benavidez to have a chance to win back the World Boxing Council’s 168-lb while Canelo was holding the belt.
With Canelo not interested in fighting Benavidez, the only way a fight could happen was if the WBC ordered the match to take place, but they were slow to do so for obvious reasons.
If the WBC orders Canelo to face Benavidez, he will likely come off the strap in the next instance, as they tried to force him against Gennadiy Golovkin in 2016.
Nampaw Morrell looks pretty good, but we haven’t seen him fight any undead since he turned pro in 2019. Although Morrell is the second champion with the WBA, holding the 168 title -lb ‘regular’, he’s mostly defeated, fringe level guy. He hasn’t fought anyone solid yet.
Morrell’s final four opponents:
- Kalvin Henderson
- Alantez fox, fox, fox
- Mario Abel Cazares
- Mike Gavonski
Benavidez is considered the number 1 boxer at 168 years old now, and he is trying to get Canelo Alvarez to fight him, but the superstar is not showing much interest.
While Canelo holds all four titles at 168th, he’s edged past newspaper champions Caleb Plant, Billy Joe Saunders, Rocky Fielding and Callum Smith.
