David Morrell believes he has a fine understanding of what he’ll confront February 1 when he fights fellow unbeaten light-heavyweight David Benavidez with an expected undisputed title shot going to the winner.
“Offense, offense, offense,” Morrell told ProBox TV’s Ricardo Celis in a backstage interview Tuesday after the pair faced off at a joint workout and Phoenix’s Benavidez shoved Morrell across a boxing ring, with Morrell retaliating by throwing his WBA secondary title belt at Benavidez.
While that singular dimension has carried former super-middleweight champion Benavidez 29-0 (24 KOs) to a string of impressive performances, Morrell 11-0 (9 KOs) argues complementing his size and age similarity to Benavidez with a more diverse package of skill should determine their pay-per-view fight (Prime Video, PPV.COM) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
“I’m going to rip his head off and finish him completely,” Morrell said. “[Benavidez] doesn’t know how to move. He doesn’t know anything. He’s walking [forward] all the time.”
Morrell is banking his refined lessons at the Cuban boxing school provide the separation he needs to win the bout between two interim champions who have been promised a shot at the Feb. 22 undisputed light-heavyweight title fight between unbeaten champion Artur Beterbiev and former WBA champion Dmitry Bivol in Saudi Arabia.
“You’ll notice the differences. … It’s (about) the angles and all this,” Morrell said in the interview. “[Benavidez] only has one thing: offense. No defense. [No] blocking things. [Those] tactics are things that obviously [make a difference].”
Morrell, a former elite super-middleweight title contender like Benavidez who tired of waiting for Canelo Alvarez, took a light-heavyweight fight in August and said he’s increasingly comfortable at the weight.
“I’m going to be big. I’m going to teach you. Trust me. Watch me,” Morrell said. “The boy [Benavidez] will finish [up] in the hospital.”