By Jim Calfa: WBA ‘regular” super middleweight champion David Morrell Jr is calling out David Benavidez, telling him to fight him next unless he’s scared.
Morrell has been punking Benavidez on almost a daily basis since last week, calling him a fraud and a “coward.” The Cuban talent Morrell has even taken Benavidez’s nickname in part, calling himself ‘The Monster.‘
If Benavidez doesn’t step up and fight Morrell, his reputation is going to be in the mud by next year, and he could get passed over by Canelo Alvarez for that reason.
Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs) doesn’t have a fight scheduled, and it would be a bad look if he turns down the title shot against Morrell (9-0, 8 KOs) for fear of losing out on a possible clash against Canelo Alvarez in 2024.
The 26-year-old Benavidez can’t afford to sit inactive for the remainder of the year, waiting & hoping Canelo fights him next year because if he doesn’t, he’ll have nothing to show for the time he’s waited.
Morrell thinks Benavidez is scared
“I want to fight Benavidez, 100%. Like my team is ready for the fight, and we’re ready for him. I’m so excited for the fight,” said David Morrell Jr to FOX 9 Minneapolis-St Paul.
“It’s a big opportunity for me. I think like November is fight. I wait for you. I’m ready. Do you want to fight? I’m here,” said Morrell in sending a message to Benavidez. I don’t know, but I’m ready for Benavidez.
“Maybe,” said Morrell when asked if Benavidez is scared of him. It’s a big opportunity. He’s a great fighter and a big name. I’m ready. Do you want to fight? I want to fight.”
“I think that’s a fantastic fight, as I have said. Sure, I would love to see Canelo get in a ring with Benavidez in the fall fight, but if he’s going to fight Charlo, okay, whatever, but the best consolation to that would be to have Benavidez fight David Morrell,” said Dan Rafael to Boxing Social.
“Now, I’ve heard some people complain. ‘Well, David Morrell has only got nine fights.’ Those people don’t know what they’re talking about because that’s like saying, ‘Well, how can Lomachenko be a champion in only his third fight’ or something like that.
“Yeah, because they were special amateurs, and they have the talent, and they have the ability, and they don’t need to be babied and seasoned and have a whole bunch of four-rounders and eight-rounders and six-rounders and all that.
“David Morrell had the type of amateur background and the type of ability that put him in a position where he could fight legitimate fighters pretty much right out of the beginning of his career, and he’s shown that over his last few fights.
“He may not have fought superstar fighters, but he’s fought pretty good quality opposition in recent fights. So put the fact that he’s 9-0 out of your mind. David Benavidez certainly has many more fights but turned pro at a very young age.
“I think he was 17 years old when he turned pro. So that is a special kind of great fight, in my opinion. That would be a tremendous action fight. Both guys can punch. Both guys can box; both guys have that sort of that dog mentality in them where they’re willing to get in there and trade if necessary.
“I love the match. I hope it happens because, one, it’s a great fight. Both guys will get a big name on their record, and the winner will be, there would be no other fight that they could have that would put them in a better position to get a Canelo fight should he win his fall fight,” said Rafael.
