The WBA ‘regular’ super middleweight champion, David Morrell, has many doubts that David Benavidez will fulfill his wish to face Canelo Álvarez in 2024.
With all the time and effort that WBC interim 168-pound champion Benavidez and his father, José Sr., have put in, calling Canelo 24/7, complaining and complaining with The media, Morrell (10-0, 9 KOs) doesn’t see the fight happening for them.
Benavidez has gone about the fight with Canelo the wrong way by sidelining Morrell and not fighting guys his own size, like former IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia.
If Benavidez really wanted to push Canelo, he would take on Morrell and Opetaia and show fans that he is fearless and not just looking to get a payday, which is what many believe he is trying to do.
The easiest clash to set up is against Morrell because he is with PBC like Benavidez and wants his scalp. That would be a standout fight for the Amazon Prime Video PPV in the first quarter of 2024.
Morrell is a realist and not a dreamer. He feels Benavidez’s best hope for a massive fight in 2024 is against him, and he wants to take down ‘The Mexican Monster’ to show the boxing world that he is not the fighter they thought he was.
Cuban talent Morrell expects Canelo to face Jaime Munguía in 2024 and whoever isn’t Benavidez, who will have to go in another direction.
Morrell feels Canelo has his own ideas for next year and Benavidez, 26, will not pressure him to fight him. Benavidez has run out of old men to fight, having depleted his supply by defeating these guardians:
– Demetrius Andrade – Caleb Plant – David Lemieux
Benavidez has talked about wanting to face Jermall Charlo in May to eliminate one of Canelo’s potential opponents in 2024, but that is also a pipe dream. Jermall will not fight Benavidez because he knows he is still competing for a payday from Canelo. Plus, he still has a compelling fight available against Caleb Plant.
The fight that can be made for Benavidez is against Morrell. When asked if he wants to fight Benavidez, Morrell said, “100%.” Whether Benavidez will accept the fight is another question because he and his father, Jose Sr., have shown no interest in fighting Morrell.
They obviously don’t want to jeopardize the fight with Canelo, which is silly because they most likely won’t get it anyway.