After chasing Saul Canelo Alvarez for years without success and eventually up in weight to feature at 175lbs, David Benavidez has pulled an audacious move: the " Mexican Monster " wants a date with David Morrell Jnr.
“I don’t want to fight somebody who doesn’t mean something for my career. I only want to fight the best available. The best out there now is David Morrell," Benavidez said.
This is a bout that has been on lips of many a boxing fan.
With that, unbeaten WBC interim light-heavyweight champion Benavidez connected with a representative of his team and requested that he offer Cuba’s unbeaten light-heavyweight Morrell a fight.
A boxing official connected to the situation told BoxingScene Thursday that an offer from Phoenix’s Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) has been sent over to representatives of Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs), and they are waiting to hear back.
“What’s so nice about this is that it’s the boxer making the decision … he’s the one reaching out to make the fight,” the boxing official said.
Both boxers fight under the Premier Boxing Champions banner. Messages left to PBC were not immediately returned Thursday.
Benavidez was previously considering a proposal to fight Philadelphia’s 35-year-old Jesse Hart (31-3, 25 KOs).
“PBC loves the (Benavidez-Morrell) fight, everybody loves the fight … because it’s the best possible (light-heavyweight) fight,” the official said. “Morrell has a big mouth, and he’s said things before, things like (Benavidez) has chickened out from fighting him. So we expect this offer to be accepted.”
Benavidez, 27, and Morrell, 26, both opted this year to leave the super-middleweight division because they couldn’t land a title fight against then-undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez.
The light-heavyweight division is bracing for its ultimate showdown, the Oct. 12 undisputed title fight between unbeaten Russians Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
“After that fight, there’s no way the WBC champion can fight anyone other than (a victorious) Benavidez or he will be stripped,” the official said. “Benavidez is doing everything – including pursuing this fight against Morrell – like a real champion.”
Former WBC super-middleweight champion Benavidez defeated former light-heavyweight Oleksandr Gvozdyk on June 15, and Morrell was less impressive in his light-heavyweight debut, but still won, defeating Radivoje Kalajdzic by unanimous decision Aug. 3 in Los Angeles.
“I imagine Benavidez will get more money. He’s the ‘A’ fighter,” the official said. “But I think both guys will do well. It’ll be a good pay-per-view.”
The issue beyond Morrell’s response is figuring out when and where to place the fight.
If they wait until Dec. 21, the pay-per-view heavyweight title fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury will stream earlier that day.
If finalised, the bout could possibly be staged in Las Vegas in December or early next year.
By Samuel Opoku Amoah
Be the First to Comment