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Shawn Porter lines up with WBC interim light heavyweight champion David Benavidez to defeat WBA ‘regular’ champion David Morrell in their fight in 53 days on February 1 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Like many, Porter feels the experience of former two-time WBC 168lb champion Benavidez gives him an edge in his 12-round bout against Cuba’s Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs).
Implications of the title
Benavidez vs. Morrell headlines at PBC Main video PPV. The winner of the fight will be in a position to fight for the world title against the winner of the Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitri Bivol rematch on the 2nd.
“55-45 for Benavidez. What I think Benavidez has over Morrell is experience, real strength,” Shawn Porter told Fight Hub TV about David Benavidez vs. David Morrell on February 1st in Las Vegas.
“They’re both big guys, but I think Benavidez is more natural at 175 pounds. 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 resistance due to someone staying away from you and him not being able to catch up. With Benavidez, you can fight with him. He’s just as fast,” Porter said.
Benavidez can spar with Morrell if he chooses to stand, but he probably won’t. Even in his last fight against Radivoj Kalajdžić, he moved a lot and didn’t allow him to hit hard shots. Morrell had the strength and youth advantage in that fight, but he didn’t use it the way he needed to in order to dominate.
“He can box, and that kind of resistance and mental game with you. It becomes a roller coaster ride. David Benavidez was on that ride. Morrell didn’t. I favor Benavidez. In this one, I could see eight rounds, nine rounds before something like that could happen to Morrell,” Porter said when asked if Benavidez could wipe out Morrell early like he did in his sixth-round knockout of Demetrius Andrade last year November 25.
Benavidez’s experience advantage over the 26-year-old is quite significant, which is understandable given that the Cuban fighter has only 11 professional fights under his belt.
The best fighters on Benavidez’s resume:
– Oleksandar Gvozdik
– The Caleb plant
– Demetrius Andrade
– Ronald Gavril
– Anthony Dirrell
– Denis Douglin
By comparison, Morrell only has these three:
– Radivoje Kalajdžić
– Yamaguchi Falcao
– Aidos Yerbossynuly
“Morrell is bigger than anyone else. He is taller than all the others. 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 in more effort than he’s used to in this fight to beat Benavidez, because he’ll outsmart him if he doesn’t. It won’t impress the judges if Benavidez beats Morrell 8 to 1.
Having more power won’t help Morrell if Benavidez beats him with volume, as he beat his last opponent, Oleksandr Gvozdyk, on June 15. Gvozdyk had more power and landed bigger punches, but Benavidez outplayed him. That was the difference.
