Benavidez says David Morrell Jr is a tough cookie

By Boxing News - 04/30/2021 - Comments

By Jimmy James: Two-time super middleweight world champion David Benavidez was asked in an interview which is the best super middleweight of Caleb Plant, Edgar Berlanga, and David Morrell Jr.

“Morrell Jr is the best out of the three boxers,” and believes he would be a harsh challenge to face. The Cuban Morrell (4-0, 3 KOs) is undefeated and is Caleb Plant’s mandatory fight.

A fight between Morrell vs. Benavidez would make sense. They both have targeted the same opponents, and they might be ducked by other super middleweights that don’t take the risk. Morrell, according to Benavidez, is “more technical” and would offer a bigger challenge in the ring.

There is no reason why Morrell Jr. shouldn’t take the fight against Benavidez if he is willing to fight against Berlanga; why would he not fight against a young, hungry Benavidez? That would pose an intricate fight between two big middleweights. The Cuban has power, and Benavidez has speed and power.

Alvarez, Plant, Billy Joe Saunders, and Berlanga are currently ducking Benavidez, including Jermall Charlo, who recently called out his name, but never delivered a fight date when Benavidez said he was willing to make the fight happen for the fans.

His father, Jose Benavidez Sr., has also expressed frustration at matchmaking possible fights for his son that no super middleweight is willing to take.

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It is doubtful that the winner between Alvarez and Saunders will take on Benavidez or Morrell Jr, no matter the outcome of the fight.

If the outcome is in Alvarez’s favor, Alvarez’s trainer Eddie Reynoso has said he will not be looking to fight Benavidez anytime soon. I doubt it will be Morrell, which should provoke some outrage from boxing fans worldwide trying to make the best fight happen as Alvarez keeps ducking prime young undefeated American boxers.

Alvarez’s critics like myself have pointed multiple times that imposing rehydration clauses to many of his opponents and looking for boxers on their way out is not good for his legacy, no matter how much money he makes.

Morrell Jr. and Benavidez would pose problems to him, and he is waiting until they both fight one another to avoid both.

He is one of the most controversial figures in middleweight history. Even though he has the skillset to prove it, he does not have the determination to fight fighters like Benavidez and Morrell, which the fans consider dangerous.

Image: Benavidez says David Morrell Jr is a tough cookie

There is no possible excuse why elite fighters duck Benavidez at this point of their careers, and there should be zero tolerance from true hardcore boxing fans into such things that destroy the sport of boxing.

Benavidez needs our support as fans, so the best fight the best, as it once was during the 1990s in boxing. Morrell Jr. would pose a good challenge for him.