DAVID Morrell’s trainer, Ronnie Shields, believes the Cuban’s punching power will be the decisive factor when Morrell squares off against David Benavidez on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
In just 11 professional fights, swashbuckling southpaw Morrell has become one of the most avoided fighters in the sport. Another seemingly avoided fighter is the man who will stand in the opposite corner of the ring on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.
The coming together of two of the highest-ranking officers in the ‘Who Needs ‘Em’ club is a cause for celebration. An unexpected treat for the sport’s often disillusioned fanbase.
Shields, himself no stranger to the grandest of occasions, having coached some of the biggest names in boxing across a career spanning four decades, praised both men for risking their unbeaten records against one another.
“Oh, absolutely! This is a great fight,” Shields told BN.
“Both guys are really good fighters and each of them want to be the best in the sport. Nobody else wanted to fight them so hey, why not fight each other?
“David [Morrell] feels he’s the best fighter, number one, and David Benavidez brings a lot to the table. He [Morrell] wants the best, so David Benavidez is a wonderful opponent.”
Though their rivalry has simmered since both men were campaigning down at super-middleweight, Saturday’s contest takes place at light-heavyweight, with both fighters having moved up in weight last year to pick up Interim titles.
No longer the gargantuan figure that dwarfed all comers at 168lbs, Benavidez struggled, at times, to assert himself physically in his last outing, a decision win against former lineal champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk, back in June.
“I thought he [Benavidez] looked pretty good his last fight for his first time at 175lbs.
“But he realised the guys are bigger and stronger at that weight. When you move it up in weight, it happens that way.”
Morrell would also flatter to deceive on his own light-heavyweight debut, labouring over twelve rounds to a decision win over Radivoje Kalajdzic in August.
His performance prompted observers to question whether the 27-year-old had the requisite experience to take on a battle-hardened ‘dog’ in Benavidez, particularly with so few professional contests under his belt.
So destructive has Morrell’s power been in the early stages of his career, he has only ventured past the fourth round in four of his eleven bouts. Again, Morrell’s detractors point to his lack of ring time as being potentially pivotal to his downfall against Benavidez, a man who seems born for trench warfare.
Shields, however, was dismissive of such talk, insisting that Morrell’s extensive amateur background would stand him in good stead on fight night.
“Well, experience is experience – no matter where you get it from.
“Whether you get it in the amateurs or what you get in the pros, it doesn’t matter as long as you have it. David Morrell Jr. definitely has the experience and he has the power to compete with anybody.”
When asked by BN what the difference would be on fight night, Shields’ response was instant.
“His [Morrell’s] punching power. He punches very hard – and I know on Saturday night, you’re definitely gonna see it.”
