Boxing Tonight: Keys To Victory For David Benavidez Against David Morrell

Will David Benavidez become the first man to beat David Morrell?

David Benavidez lands a straight right hand on Oleksandr Gvozdyk in a unanimous decision win. / IMAGO/ZUMA Press Wire

Few have done more to boost their stock over the last two years than David Benavidez.

Now, Benavidez has a prime opportunity to establish himself as one of the best fighters and biggest stars in the sport when he faces David Morrell on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Benavidez enters the clash of unbeaten light heavyweights with the WBC interim belt, while Morrell is the regular WBA champion.

There's been no shortage of bad blood between Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) and Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs). Things nearly boiled over again at the pre-fight press conference on Thursday as both fighters and teams needed to be separated on multiple occasions. Benavidez guaranteed he's ready for the highly-anticipated bout and plans on leaving no doubt when he leaves the ring on Saturday night.

"We're going to war and I'm f***** laying out David Morrell," Benavidez said.

Here are three keys to victory for Benavidez against Morrell.

Make Morrell Work Early

Few work at a brisker pace and do a better job of weaponizing it than Benavidez.

Whether throwing punches in bunches or constantly being on the front foot and pressuring his opponent, Benavidez is constantly in his opponent's face and making them work to hold him off. No fight displayed how effective that strategy can be more than when he eventually slowed former super middleweight champion Caleb Plant down because of the pace of the fight en route to winning a unanimous decision.

A similar strategy can work against Morrell, though he'd be wise to exude more caution due to the Cuban southpaw's power. While Morrell has gone 12 rounds twice, including a unanimous decision win over Radivoje Kalajdzic in his last fight, he's never been forced to fight at a pace similar to what Benavidez fights at.

Benavidez has also been in this moment before as it's his third pay-per-view headliner, whereas this will be Morrell's first. If Benavidez can use his experience and pace to his advantage, he'll be in the driver's seat to become the first man to defeat Morrell.

MORE: How To Watch David Benavidez vs David Morrell: Date, Start Time, Fight Card & More

Don't Start Too Fast

While Benavidez's stamina is one of his biggest strengths, it wasn't impenetrable in his last fight.

Benavidez still won by a clear unanimous decision over former titleholder Oleksandr Gvozdyk in his light heavyweight debut in his last fight, but he noticeably slowed down in the latter stages. Much of that came as a result of him exerting too much energy at the start of the fight and while that helped him get out to a big lead, it could have gotten him in more trouble against a more dangerous opponent.

If Benavidez finds himself in a similar situation against Morrell, it could lead to big problems for "The Mexican Monster." The Cuban southpaw is a powerful and dynamic puncher, particularly with his straight left hand and right hook. If Morrell is able to weather an early onslaught from Benavidez and has more energy left in the tank, the tables could definitely turn in the second half of the fight.

Benavidez has to manage his energy better on Saturday night against Morrell. If he doesn't, he may not be as fortunate as he was against Gvozdyk.

MORE: Keys To Victory For David Morrell vs. David Benavidez

Take Morrell Into Deep Waters

Benavidez's experience will likely have to carry the day if he's going to become the first man to defeat Morrell.

Fortunately for Benavidez, he has been here before and knows how to take over a fight late. After falling behind in the first four rounds against Plant in his first fight headlining a PPV, Benavidez's pace and punch output eventually turned the tide and led to him winning a clear unanimous decision on March 25, 2023.

In Benavidez's most recent fight on PPV on Nov. 25, 2023, he broke down Demetrius Andrade much quicker en route to his corner stopping the fight after the sixth round. Andrade, who like Morrell is also a southpaw, is a former middleweight champion and was undefeated heading into the bout vs. Benavidez.

Morell will be his most dangerous early in the fight. If Benavidez is going to get arguably the biggest win of his career, his best chance will likely come late where he thrived as one of the best super middleweights in the world.

Benavidez vs. Morrell will take place on Saturday in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena. The PPV portion of the card will begin at 8 p.m. ET. and can be streamed on Amazon Prime PPV or PPV.com.

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