David Morrell says he will beat David Benavidez in their 12-round headliner at light heavyweight in two weeks from February 1st.

WBA 'regular' light heavyweight champion Morel (11-0, 9 KOs) sees Benavidez as a typical, “fat” pressure fighter who walks forward, throws punches, but lacks “power” in his punches. He says he knows he's stronger than Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs), which goes without saying.

Benavidez's lack of power

'The Mexican Monster' has no power. He is a volume puncher who was a big fish in a small pond at 168 in the first 11 years of his career.

Like many young fighters, Benavidez may drop down to fight in a division below his body size. Earlier in his career, we saw the same thing with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Now that Benavidez is 175, his advantage is gone, his lack of punching power is even more of a liability, and he no longer has the size to fall back on. He's now fighting big guys like him, Morrell, but with superior skills and talent, a true knockout artist. It doesn't look good for Benavidez.

Morel: Making it “look easy”.

“Benavidez is not easy, but I'm going to make it look easy. They are two different things,” Morrell said Gloves off Episode 2. “Every time you come to the gym, work, work, work. Crying here is better than crying inside the ring during a fight.

“That's the problem with this fight. He and I, we're both people who like to press,” Morel said of the constant pressure Benavidez applied to his last opponent, Oleksandr Govozdyk, during his debut at 175 on June 15 last year in Las Vegas. “Both guys like to come forward and press. Who is stronger? I know it's me.

“Everyone says he didn't have the ability to knock some guys out in his last fight. He has nothing. This is my real weight, 175,” Morrell said. Right now, I'm comfortable at this weight.”

In terms of frame, Benavidez is a light heavyweight and has been throughout his career, but his power is more like that of a middleweight (160 pounds), and he's been hit a lot more than when he was fighting at 168. Benvidez made his debut against former WBC light heavyweight champion Oleksandr Govozdyk at 175, a bout in which he took a career-best penalty.

At 175 years old, Benavidez's life was going to be very different. He will fight killers like Morrell and face quality opposition for the first time in his long professional career. As a 12-year pro, Benavidez looks like a prospect, stepping in for the first time but not physically young.

Betrayal of the body

Benavidez's body has seen the wear and tear of a fighter who has been with the sport for over a decade. All the fighting has worn him down even more. We're seeing the impact now, with Benavidez collapsing from left and right injuries in his last fight.

That reared its ugly head from a long career of wear. She's like an old car with 300,000 miles on the odometer. Yes, you've made the car shine, but it's still an old car engine and transmission wise. Ditto for Benavidez. Lots of mileage on it.

“I truly believe I'm seeing a legend. He reminds me of a guy like Evander Holyfield, a guy like Parnell Whitaker,” trainer Ronnie Shields said of Morell. “The reason he reminds me of those guys is the way he works.

“I give credit to Benavidez because he's keeping pace with him. He didn't have to. It just shows that you have fighters out there who want to fight the best. So, now he's getting an opportunity,” said Shields.

Finally step by step

You have to give Benavidez credit for finally being called up to fight Morrell in his twelfth year as a professional for two years. Benavidez had a long career, and surprisingly, it took him so long to start fighting elite-level fighters than old, toothless, little guys that he built his entire 29-0 record.

In this era of boxing there is a formula where fighters make Plastic records Fighting scrubs and then bragging about themselves trying to get a big cash-out payday. Is Benavidez one of them?

He's fought similar guys like Edgar Berlanga and it's hard not to put 'The Mexican Monster' in the same category. As the saying goes, 'You are what you eat.' That's what Pro Game is good for ready warrior Which creates a 100% undefeated record by beating cans of tomatoes.

Benavidez has fought exclusively low-level opponents and has been a pro for nearly 15 years. How do you not fight the opposition of quality, especially with the advantage of large size above all?

“What I see in Morel is a lot of flaws that I can take advantage of,” Benavidez said. “He says he's a better fighter than me because he's from Cuba and he trained with Cubans, but that doesn't mean anything. I grew up sparring monsters.

Both fighters have fought a lot of good opposition in their careers, but Benavidez shouldn't see this as some sort of honor or battle medal to pin to his chest. All fighters do it. Benavidez even referred to it as a sign of insecurity. The flaws Benavidez sees in Morel exist in his own game.

he Projecting His vulnerability to Morel and his failure to recognize that he was more vulnerable now than he was when he stepped down to fight younger, older fighters at 168 is for the system game. Benavidez is now starting to break down physically due to a long career in the game.