Shawn Porter sides with WBC interim light heavyweight champion David Benavidez to defeat ‘regular’ WBA champion David Morrell in their fight in 53 days on February 1st at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Like many, Porter feels the experience of former two-time WBC 168-pound champion Benavidez gives him an advantage in his 12-round bout against Cuban Morel (11-0, 9 KOs).
Title Implications
Benavidez vs. Morel headlines at PBC Prime Video PPV. The winner of the fight will be in position to challenge for the world title against the winner of the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol rematch on 2.
“55-45 for Benavidez. What I think Benavidez has over Morel is experience, that’s a real strength,” Sean Porter told Fight Hub TV about David Benavidez vs. David Morel on February 1st in Las Vegas.
“They’re both big guys, but I think Benavidez is more of a natural 175-pounder. When you’ve had the experience of fighting a 12-round fight, it’s nothing new to you. Morrell had no resistance.
“That fight with Hot Rod, that was a different kind of resistance. It was the resistance of someone staying away from you, and he couldn’t catch up. With Benavides, he can bang with him. “He’s just as fast,” Porter said.
Benavidez can hit Morel if he chooses to sit still, but he probably won’t. Even in the last fight against Radivoj Kalajdzic, he moved around a lot and didn’t allow him to land his heavy punches. Morrell had the power and youth advantage in that fight, but he didn’t use it the way he should have to dominate.
“He can box, and that kind of resistance and mental game with you. It becomes a roller coaster ride. David Benavides was on that ride. Morrell didn’t. I favor Benavidez. “Man, I could see eight rounds, nine rounds before something like that could happen to Morel,” Porter said when asked if Benavidez could knock out Morel early like he did in a sixth-round knockout of Demetrius Andrade last year. on November 25.
Benavides’ experience advantage over the 26-year-old is quite significant, which is understandable given that the Cuban fighter has only 11 fights as a professional.
Best fighters on Benavidez’s resume:
– Aleksandar Gvozdik
– Caleb Plant
– Demetrije Andrada
– Ronald Gavril
– Anthony Dirrell
– Dennis Douglin
By comparison, Morrell only has these three:
– Radivoje Kalajdžić
– Yamaguchi Falcao
– Aidos Jerbosinul
“Morel is bigger than anyone else.” He is taller than anyone else. He’s as fast as anyone. He’s probably stronger than anybody else,” Porter said.
Can Morrell pull off an upset?
Morrell will have to put more effort into this fight than he’s used to in order to have a chance at beating Benavidez, because he’ll be outmatched if he doesn’t. It won’t impress the judges if Morrell gets an 8-1 score from Benavidez.
More power won’t help Morel if Benavidez beats him with power, as his last opponent, Oleksandr Gvozdyk, did on June 15. Gvozdik had the better power and landed bigger punches, but Benavidez outsmarted him. That was the difference.
