By Jim Calfa: WBA ‘regular’ super middleweight champion David Morrell Jr is ready to replace Canelo Alvarez as the undisputed 168-lb champion this year.
Morrell has the charisma to be the equivalent of Sugar Ray Leonard for the 168-lb division, and he’s a superstar in the making.
After last Saturday’s first round destruction of challenger Yamaguchi Falcao, Morrell (9-0, 8 KOs) has vaulted past David Benavidez as the biggest threat to Canelo in the eyes of the boxing world.
Interestingly, Benavidez is no longer showing eagerness to fight Morrell because the Cuban has shown that he’s a huge threat to him and his career.
Also, the problems that the emaciated-looking Benavidez had beating Caleb Plant last month showed that he’s not as good as people thought, and he needs to move up to 175. Benavidez is forced to take off too much muscle weight to stay at 168.
Morrell wants Canelo
“This kid is a natural talent. He’s one of the best guys I’ve ever worked with, and one of the nicest guys. He’s just an all-around good guy, and he loves to fight, and that’s the most important thing,” said coach Ronnie Shields to Fighthype about unbeaten David Morrell Jr.
“With the talent that he has, he works really hard, and that just makes it easy for him in a lot of his fights,” Shields continued. “David Morrell has his sights on Canelo also.
“He wants that fight, and he deserves that fight, but Benavidez deserves that fight also. So we have to wait and see what happens,” said Ronnie when told that David Benavidez is focused on trying to get a fight against Canelo Alvarez next.
“It’s still no guarantees that you’re going to get Canelo,” said Shields about a semifinal-like fight between Morrell and Benavidez. “The boxing organizations, I feel, aren’t doing their job. They want the best to fight the best, but when you have the best picking & choosing, it’ll never happen,” said Shields.
Benavidez vs. Morrell in September?
“I favor Morrell,” said coach Bob Santos to 210 Boxing TV when asked about a fight between Morrell and Benavidez. “I think David Morrell is a little more physically gifted than Benavidez, and I think it’s going to be a tremendous fight, and I think he’s going to win that fight.
“The fight has got to be made to find out who the best is,” Santos continued. “He’s [Morrell] a superior athlete. If he wasn’t boxing, he’d be playing center field for the Yankees. If he wasn’t playing center field for the Yankees, he’d be a safety for the Dallas Cowboys. He’s just a superior, superior athlete, and he loves to fight.
“He had a great amateur career, a tremendous one, and it’s being proven in the ring. Look what he did in his third pro fight [defeated Lennox Allen].
“I don’t see why the fight can’t happen. They’re both with PBC,” Santos said when asked if we could see Benavidez vs. Morrell in September. “It’s the two best super middleweights in the world going at it. I know Canelo has proven a lot of things in the ring. We don’t want to take nothing away from him.
“I don’t know if it was a one-off in his performance against Bivol because he had an injury or if he’s slipping a little bit. But if he is slipping just a hair, then these two guys [Morrell & Benavidez] are the creme de la creme at the top.
“If it’s the Canelo of the past and he shows that in his next one [against John Ryder], and obviously all three are neck & neck. Canelo obviously has the edge because he’s produced it in the ring. He’s had the opportunities to do it in the ring.
“So, you can’t take nothing away from Morrell or Benavidez because they haven’t had those opportunities. It doesn’t mean they’re not as good as him, and the best need to fight the best. Canelo needs to fight Benavidez. He needs to fight Morrell, and he needs to fight Benavidez.
“We need to have this like we had in the 80s with Hearns & Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard. That’s what needs to happen, and that’s what made this sport great. That’s why if we do those types of fights, we’ll make the sport great again.
“There are no two ways about it,” said Santos when asked if he’s on board for the Morrell vs. Benavidez fight in September. “If I had my wish list, that would be a fight that would be made and would be made fast.”
