David Benavidez will use his experience and body punch to defeat David Murrell on February 1, says coach Greg Hackett. Hackett sees this as a competitive fight in the first five rounds, with Morell (11-0, 9 KOs) looking good, but Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) taking over the fight and taking him down.
Hackett shares many people's opinion that Benavidez has too much experience in the pros for the 26-year-old Morel to handle.
Although Morell had fought several times in the amateur ranks against better fighters than Benavidez had faced in the pros, he had no experience in taking longer fights. Only three of Morel's matches reached the 12th round in his five-year career.
Benavidez-Morrell will meet in 38 days at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The event will be shown live on PBC on Prime Video PPV. Morell will defend his WBA “regular” light heavyweight title in his second contest at 175. Benavidez will have the interim WBC belt on the line.
Benavidez's aggressive style
“He tried to hit him with his belt. That was crazy,” Greg Hackett said. YSM Sports Media About how David Morrell tried to hit David Benavidez with his WBA belt after he shoved him during their media workout.
“They know each other is a threat, and there's a lot riding on it. They both have something to prove because they're in a new weight class. Some people are like Morell, others are like Benavidez. You always know this is a high-intensity fight because your coaches are in camp.”
“Look for a real gunfight. Look for Morel to try all his tricks, look for Benavidez to dig deep and go to that body and try to really tear it apart. I think it's too early for Morel. I'll pick Benavidez all day long. I think he's the more experienced fighter,” Hackett said. “The most ferocious and the most tested fighter.”
It won't be easy for Benavidez to target Morel's body because he moves and has a vicious left hand, making it dangerous for the Mexican monster. He will try to go to the body, but he may regret it later if Morel cuts his hair.
Coach expects 'dark batting'
“Morrell will look good in the first five. Maybe the first three before I see it take a turn, but I'd say the first five, he (Morrell) will look good. Then Benavidez will start looking more and more, and he'll look scary. It'll start to get dark. It'll be dark,” Hackett said. “One of those dark strokes.”
Morel was at his best in the early rounds of his August 3 fight against “Hot Rod” Radivoj Kalajdzic, but he seemed to slow down in the second half. However, Morrell still throws hard even in the championship rounds. Kalajidzic held up a lot, saving him from taking several heavy shots down the stretch.
Benavidez doesn't hold up, and his defense is his crime. Morell can do a lot of damage with this type of fighter, and could even knock him out if Benavidez becomes sloppy.
