Later tonight, David Morrell Jr. meets Mario Cazares in a battle of unbeaten fighters still at the beginning stages of their professional careers. The secondary WBA belt is not an important part to this matchup.
The main event bout that will be broadcasted by FOX plays out more like a prospect versus prospect. The Premier Boxing Champions outfit headed by Al Haymon takes the show on the road to Minneapolis, Minnesota, at the historic venue The Armory.
Since the pandemic hit, the PBC on FOX has been stationed in Los Angeles. The tickets are moving fast, with still some available on ticketmaster.com.
Haymon found a perfect place to host 4 events a year split between cards on FOX and FS1 thus far. Hometown boxer Jamal James should be returning to this same venue on FOX as well, so don’t be surprised if they announce his fight tonight and put the tickets on presale for the in-house audience to gobble them up.
In just his 5th fight as a pro, David Morrell Jr. will be headlining his 2nd fight on the FOX network, and the powers that be hope he can carry the torch of Caleb Truax and Jamal James as a hot ticket seller to the MPLS faithful.
Morrell Jr. was a standout, to say the least, in his native Cuba, building a record of 135-2 as an amateur. His manager Luis De Cubas Jr., with Minnesota roots, Warriors Boxing and the PBC, has high hopes of not only building his fanbase here in Minnesota but also on the world stage.
In December, Morrell Jr. made easy work of an overmatched opponent in Mike Gavronski. Then, last August, he got some very important rounds in going the whole 12-rounds with Lennox Allen in just his 3rd fight at the paid ranks. In that fight alone, it was easy to see the talent that David possesses, and it’s just a matter of time until we see him in a big fight.
Before we get to his fight tonight, rumors spread among the media that the recently mandated challenger in the WBA would mean veteran John Ryder would get the nod to face Morrell Jr.
This boxing podcaster was no completely sold; the fight would actually get made. But, as it turns out, Ryder was looking for way more money than what could be offered. His promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sports even petitioned the WBA to adjust the purse bid split so he could make an offer on the fight and likely put it on the streaming service DAZN.
In the end, one hopes a fight like that or at a similar level could be made for David, assuming he gets past Cazares, of course. Fighting a quality boxer like Ryder would do wonders for David before he steps up to the top level at super middleweight. Even if you favor Morell Jr., the lessons learned in those valuable rounds before stepping in the ring with Canelo Alvarez, Caleb Plant, or David Benavidez are a must.
Morrell Jr. takes on 12-0 Mario Abel Cazares, someone who was untested until last September when he upset Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Cazares has a decent jab and can move fairly well with the ability to turn his opponents.
Beyond the jab, Mario likes to throw lead left hooks or follow up on the jab with straight right hands. The area where Cazares will likely find trouble is his defense. He has a bad habit of leaving himself wide open while throwing punches. He’s a pretty active puncher as well, but his accuracy is not on par which is another item that Morrell Jr. can exploit.
All and all considering this is David’s 5th fight, this matchup makes a lot of sense, especially with Cazares coming off a victory over a named fighter like J.C.C. Jr. It could be touch and go in the early rounds as they both try to figure each other out and decide who will be the lead. My guess is Morrell Jr. will take the lead and eventually be the aggressor after a few feel-out rounds.
Once David is able to time Cazares’s jab and lead lefts hooks, look for Morrell Jr. to score with flush shots that catch the attention of the judges and sends the Armory crowd into a frenzy. The outcome really comes down to two things, and one is David taking his time to break down Cazares instead of trying too hard for the KO punch. The second is how good Mario’s chin is and if he can hold up to the barrage of punches that will surely be coming his way.
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My Official Prediction is David Morrell Jr. by Late Stoppage.
Side Note: The co-feature is another battle of unbeaten when Nigerian native Efetobor Apochi squares off against Brandon Glanton. The opener pits rising prospect Omar Juarez versus a solid boxer in All Rivera, who just went the distance with Rances Barthelemy back in January. On FS1, Leon Lawson vs. Nathaniel Gallimore makes for an interesting main event for the prelims portion.
Written by Chris Carlson Host/Producer of The Rope A Dope Radio Podcast Available at www.blogtalkradio.com/ropeadoperadio & Follow on Twitter @RopeADopeRadio