Eddie Hearn was surprised as everyone at learning that David Benavidez will be facing WBA ‘regular’ super middleweight champion David Morrell Jr next after receiving the bad news that Canelo Alvarez hasn’t accepted the enormous offer from his promoter Sampson Lewkowicz for a fight in September.
Hearn says he thinks the unbeaten 24-year-old talented Cuban Morrell (9-0, 8 KOs) will be the favorite over Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs), aka ‘Mexican Monster.’ That’s not a knock on Benavidez but rather an indication of the kind of ability that Morrell possesses.
Morrell is coming off knockout wins against Yamaguchi Falcão and Aidos Yerbossynuly. Before those fights, Benavidez had been chomping at the bit about fighting Morrell, but after his first round knockout victory against Falcao, he’s gone quiet. Morrell even noticed that.
“That’s a great fight. I mean, listen. I think David Morrell is the favorite in that fight. I think David Benavidez is a great fighter, but David Morrell is a serious [talent],” said Eddie Hearn to Boxing King Media about the news of David Benavidez fighting WBA ‘regular’ super middleweight champion David Morrell Jr in October.
“There’s a little bit of unknown in terms of how good he is, but I think he’s very good, and I think it’s a dangerous fight [for Benavidez]. Fair play to Benavidez. If PBC makes that fight, it’s a great fight,” said Hearn.
Lewkowicz said today that Benavidez will be facing Morrell Jr in October. Hearn thinks that’s a great fight “if” PBC makes it. The winner of the Benavidez-Morrell will be in a strong position to get a fight against Canelo or at least claim to be the true #1 in the 168-lb division.
If Benavidez wins, he will have victories over Caleb Plant and Morrell, which should help him force Canelo into the ring.
A loss for Benavidez would result in him needing to do some soul-searching about whether it’s time for him to move up to 175 because he’s sacrificing too much weight to stay at 168, and there will be no reason for him to continue draining himself because Canelo will never fight him. If Benavidez loses to Morrell, he’s permanently out of the Canelo sweepstakes!
Benavidez has been trying to get against Canelo (59-2-2, 39 KOs) for ages, but with his weak resume, he had nothing to over the Mexican star that would make it worthwhile. Benavidez argued that he couldn’t get the fighters to face him at 168.
If Benavidez had taken risks by going up to 175 to take on Artur Beterbiev, Dmitry Bivol, Joshua Buatsi, and Gilberto Ramirez, he’d be in a better position today to get a fight against Canelo. Playing it safe has hurt Benaivdez’s chances of getting into a fight with Canelo, and he only has himself to blame.
