Canelo Alvarez will reportedly take on Jake Paul in a boxing fight on Cinco de Mayo.
The pair have been linked with a fight for some time, which has largely been driven by The Problem Child. Paul has repeatedly said that his aspirations are to win a world title before eventually securing a lucrative fight with Canelo. Paul took himself a step closer to securing that mega-fight after he put on a record-breaking event against Mike Tyson in his last fight. It was the first boxing fight ever on Netflix and became the most streamed boxing event of all time.
The numbers did the talking, as 60 million households watched it across the globe. There are also reports that Jake walked away with a $40 million purse. A fight against Canelo would generate more since they are both big household names, with Canelo being one of the leading ones. Canelo also said he was open to the fight if the terms were right.
“Canelo needs me, so I’m not even going to try and call him out. He knows he wants a payday. So, he knows where the money man is at… He’s going to want a payday and I want to show the world all the [stuff] I’ve been talking about beating Canelo is true and I’ll have the biggest upset in the history of boxing. We’ll fight to really see who is the face [of boxing] because, after this event, I’m going to be claiming it,” Jake said
“When I’m done with boxing [at the highest level], why not? Yeah, maybe. I think it’s good cause what happens is other people who never watch boxing, they don’t know anything about boxing, they want to watch Jake Paul because he brings fans from another world. Maybe [I’ll take the Paul fight],” Canelo stated
Canelo is coming off a unanimous decision victory against Edgar Berlanga, which took place on Mexican Independence Weekend last year. Canelo was going up against UFC 306, which was headlined by Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili. That was the first combat sports event held at The Sphere. There was pressure on Canelo to perform, especially since fans were disappointed that he did not fight David Benavidez.
The fight produced some solid numbers. It sold 650,000 PPVs whilst bringing in a live gate of $17 million. It showed Canelo was able to produce big numbers without necessarily fighting the best names. However, neither Jake nor Canelo have officially come out to state that the fight has gone ahead. For the fight to go ahead, there would have to be several parties involved. Canelo and MVP Promotions would have to do a deal. There is also the question of which network will air the fight. Canelo has ties with PBC and DAZN, meaning there may have to be a battle between the networks. Regardless, Paul, it has resulted in many boxing fans having a say.
The self-proclaimed GWOAT of boxing unified all four belts in the women’s heavyweight division by dominating the significantly overmatched Danielle Perkins over the distance
Shields, boxing in her birthplace of Flint, Michigan, dropped the previously undefeated Perkins in the tenth and final round with a right hook en route to a comfortable unanimous decision victory.
The three judges scored the fight in her favour by margins of 97-92, 99-90, and 100-89 to improve her unblemished record to 16-0.
Her triumph at heavyweight comes after the two-time Olympic gold medallist’s undisputed reigns in the super welterweight and middleweight divisions.
In doing so, she became the first three-weight undisputed champion in the four-belt era.
Prior to this weekend, Shields was tied with Oleksandr Usyk (cruiserweight and heavyweight), Terence Crawford (super lightweight and welterweight) and Naoya Inoue (bantamweight and super bantamweight) on two.
But her latest triumph takes her clear of the pack.
She is also the first undisputed female heavyweight champion (175lbs plus) in history as well.
Speaking after her record-breaking win, Shields said: “Danielle was strong, she was definitely a problem but my experience and my skills got me over it.
“I’ve been in plenty of street fights with bigger people and I had to use some of my skills in that today, too.
“So, when I dropped her in the last round, it’s because she got greedy.”
Shields later revealed that she was almost forced out of the fight after sustaining a shoulder injury last week.
“I actually think I’m going to have to have surgery on my left arm,” she added.
“I tore my labrum last week, so the fight almost didn’t happen.
“I didn’t want to let Flint down, but I really couldn’t use my jab the way that I wanted to.
“I iced it, I did therapy and now I think I’m going to have a shoulder surgery.”
Shields is now targeting a rematch with Hanna Gabriels next after snatching the IBF and WBA middleweight titles away from the Costa Rican in 2018.
She continued: “It ain’t enough. That’s how I think. I think that I didn’t get my flowers for so many years so even though I’m getting them now, it’s like that’s not enough.
“I deserve more than that. I’m fighting for a million dollars.
“I’m supposed to be getting paid five. This ain’t it. So, for me, that’s where the fire comes from.”
On Sunday, David Benavidez and David Morrell put on a clinic that will be remembered as one of the best fights of the year.
The bout lived up to the hype as the Mexican Monster edged past his Cuban opponent via a unanimous decision victory. With a score of 115-111, 115-111, and 118-108, the 30-0 boxer is now the next challenger for the winner of the February 22nd Beterbiev-Bivol rematch.
However, other than securing the undisputed titles at 175 lbs, there is one fight that David Benavidez desperately wants. The new WBA (Regular) light heavyweight and ‘Interim’ WBC light heavyweight champion, has been asking for a fight against Canelo Alvarez for years. However, even after being the top-ranked challenger in 168 lbs, Canelo didn’t seem interested.
Canelo Alvarez went as far as to demand $150 million to even consider the fight. In a recent interview with Ring Magazine, the unified 168-pound champion claimed that he rejected Benavidez’s challenge because of the disrespect their camp showed him. “I don’t like the way he approaches for taking the fight,” Canelo remarked. However, it looks like Bandera Roja is in no mood to pay heed to the suggestion, as he hit back at Canelo Alvarez during the post-match press conference.
An interviewer asked Benavidez, “Do you feel like this victory would bring you closer to Canelo fight or maybe not?” With an annoyed look on his face, the Mexican Monster replied that even he has no idea and is now sick of answering the same question over and over again. “I don’t know bro. You guys keep asking me about that fight and I know as much as you guys,” exclaimed Benavidez. He “would love to fight Canelo,” given the scale of the fight but he can’t make it happen alone.
The Phoenix native mentioned how Canelo Alvarez is preparing for other fights before inserting a slight dig. “He says I’m being too mean. The way I am approaching him. I guess I am gonna work on my attitude,” stated Benavidez as the conference room erupted in laughter.
However, rather than changing his attitude, David Benavidez has a plan that will undoubtedly lure Canelo Alvarez into a fight.
Ahead of his February 1 bout, the 30-0 boxer sat down with Shannon Sharpe and Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnsonon the Nightcap podcast. During the conversation, the Phoenix native explained the only way that Canelo Alvarez would accept a fight with him now.
“I am going to predict the future right here. The only way I see this fight happening is me winning all the belts at light heavyweight, winning all the undisputed titles. Then me and Canelo fight at the catch weight of 172 or 173 for the 168-pound titles and the 175-pound titles,” stated Benavidez while revealing his plan.
The 28-year-old thinks that the raised stakes will make the fight “a hundred times bigger” and will entice Canelo Alvarez into accepting the fight. Given the result of the David Morrell fight, it looks like David Benavidez’s plan started off on the right note.
But at this point, it looks like the dream Mexican bout is getting farther away with each passing day. Furthermore, the Ring Magazine interview has hurt Canelo Alvarez far more than David Benavidez. It has also given the impression that the Guadalajara native is ducking David Benavidez.
Rising star from Salt Lake City, Utah, Curmel Moton improved 7-0 after his fight against Frank Zaldivar at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The 18-year-old, also known for being Floyd Mayweather’s protege, delivered a one-sided beatdown, as Cuba’s Zaldivar failed to retaliate in the eight-round fight on the undercard of David Benavidez vs. David Morrell Jr.
Moton came into the fight after a debacle during his weigh-ins late last year in Atlantic City. Referee Harvey Dock stepped in to stop the fight in the third round after continued assault from Moton went unanswered. Zaldivar’s corner had tried to stop the fight moments prior, but Dock had his back turned. Regardless, soon after the fight WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis was roped into the conversation.
After the fight came to a close, a fan on X claimed Moton, in his current state, could defeat even Gervonta Davis, who once trained under the tutelage of five-division champion Floyd Mayweather. Moton, of course, remains under Mayweather’s wing, promoted by the legendary boxer’s Mayweather Promotions.
Davis and Mayweather’s relationship has taken a nose dive since ‘Tank’ separated from the organization. The former promoter boxer duo have also been involved in several bitter social media feuds over the years. Regardless, after discovering the user’s comment about Moton potentially defeating him, Davis could not stand the disrespect.
“I will beat the dog s**t out of him.. shut up,” Davis responded furiously. This promoted a horde of fans to converge on a social media post describing the entire ordeal on X. Even ‘Money’ Mayweather got roped into what appears to be an attempt to fabricate a rivalry.
It’s no secret that Gervonta Davis and Curmel Moton have trained together in the past under the same roof of the Mayweather gym. So, seeing these two former stablemate pitted against each other, fans were quick to share their thoughts. One user asked ‘Money’ to set up a fight between the duo. “@curmelmoton1 you see it. Get ready 🔜 lil bro. 💪🏾 @FloydMayweather set it up! We don’t need to wait.” the user wrote. However, Mayweather is wise enough not to do any such thing since Moton barely has any professional experience.
The next user didn’t seem to think Moton would last long against Davis in a fight. “Literally at the fight rn. I just watched Curmel go 7-0 he ain’t beating @Gervontaa yet lol,” the user wrote. Even though Moton is undeniably talented, the Benavidez vs. Morrell fight should tell you how a hypothetical fight between Moton and Davis would go.
Another user chimed in to take a dig at Davis’ response. “Say that about everybody but somebody in his division 🤣😂..the boy a prospect let him have his shine 🤡,” the user commented. Davis has long been criticized for ducking top opponents in his division, including Shakur Stevenson. Davis fighting Lamont Roach Jr. from the super featherweight division didn’t help his case either. However, Moton is also in the lightweight division, at least right now.
Somebody else thought it would be a miracle if Moton made it past round one. “This can’t be a real statement that people actually believe.. if it went 2 rounds, Curmel is lucky,” the user predicted. Despite Moton’s performance against low-level opponents, he is still not used to fighting in 12 whole rounds. Not to mention, Davis isn’t any run-of-the-mill fighter.
Meanwhile, this user presented an alternative for Moton, which the user thought would be a better match. “I wanna see curmel v Isaac Cruz next,” the user wrote. However, chances are Isaac Cruz would be too much for Moton. Notable, Cruz was also on tonight’s card, where he defeated Angel Fierro via a unanimous decision
That said, even though Gervonta Davis hasn’t fought all the best boxers on his level yet, some people are eager to see Davis fight Curmel Moton, who has barely dipped his toes into professional boxing.
American Claressa Shields was crowned boxing’s first undisputed world champion in three weight classes on Sunday after beating compatriot Danielle Perkins for the women’s heavyweight title by unanimous decision in front of a home crowd in Flint, Michigan.
Shields, who also won gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, landed a powerful right hand with seconds to go in the 10th and final round, knocking down Perkins and improving her professional career record to 16-0.
The win makes 29-year-old Shields an undisputed champion in a third weight class, adding to her undisputed titles in the middleweight and light-middleweight divisions.
Shields is the only boxer, man or woman, to achieve the feat.
“It feels unbelievable, to be honest. I had a really hard training camp. And just last Friday, I tore my labrum in my left shoulder, so I wasn’t able to use my good jab today. But I didn’t want to call the fight off because I had asked God to give me a big fight in my hometown. He did that. So I decided to keep going through with it. I feel so happy. And shout out to my opponent, Danielle Perkins.
Man, that girl was strong as hell. Knowing that the fight was at 180lb when I thought it was at 175lb, I had to cut a little bit of weight, and she didn’t have to. So I knew she would be a little bit stronger than what I thought. But I know I can get the job done, and I did. I showed I was the bigger puncher, I was the better boxer. I dropped her. To me, I dropped her twice, to be honest.
And the last one I seen it, I just was like, give it to her. And I dropped her the last round, which I knew I could do it because I’m really strong at heavyweight. I want to fight against Franchon Crews. I want to do a rematch with Hanna Gabriels. I’d love to bring Savannah Marshall to the USA and tap that ass again, really. And it’s always on the table if Cris Cyborg or Laila Ali want to fight,” Shields said
Shields won a unanimous decision: 100-89, 99-89 and 97-92. It was a dominant performance, as the belt added to her undisputed achievements at 154 and 160 pounds, making her a three-weight undisputed champion. The win meant she retained her WBC Heavyweight Title, adding the WBA, IBF and WBO belts. The opening round was tough for Shields, who fell short with her right hand. Perkins was the bigger fighter, using her height and range well. The southpaw was looking confident.
But Shields found the solution in round two. She used her jab to set up the combinations, with Perkins being pushed back. A right hand rocked Perkins in the third as she touched the deck, albeit from a push.
It was the same story in the second half of the fight. Shields became more confident, using her left hook every time Perkins got close. Shields managed to drop Perkins, just before the final bell to show her dominance. The Compubox numbers showed that. Shields connected with 67 out of her 185 total punches. Meanwhile, Perkins only landed 27 out of 130. Shields was delighted with the win, as she took it all in.
Full Card
Claressa Shields def. Danielle Perkins via unanimous decision (100-89, 97-92, 99-90) – Undisputed heavyweight title
Brandon Moore def. Skylar Lacy via 8th-round DQ – Heavyweight
Joseph Hicks Jr. def. Keon Papillion via 7th-round TKO – Super welterweight
Joshua Pagan def. Ronal Ron via unanimous decision (79-73, 78-74, 78-74) – Super lightweight
Caroline Veyre def. Carmen Vargas via unanimous decision (80-72, 80-72, 80-72) – Super featherweight
Ashleyann Lozada def. Denise Moran via unanimous decision (40-36, 40-36, 40-36) – Super bantamweight
The David Benavidez–David Morrell matchup warrants complete focus. Three weeks later, a much bigger event will turn up in Saudi Arabia.
So to expect fans to dive in with their thoughts on anything else remains a pointless exercise. But there’s yet another big card on the line – some ten days after the Beterbiev-Bivol rematch concludes.
On March 1, Gervonta Davis will defend his title from super featherweight champion Lamont Roach Jr. Given it’s a ‘Tank’ fight, fans can expect the usual ruckus and excitement. However, as the days draw nearer, one thought will continue to torment several fans. After the Roach Jr. clash, how many fights till ‘Tank’ Davis calls it a day and hangs his gloves? Last year at the kickoff press conference, Davis shocked everyone by announcing a retirement before 2026. Ever since discussions have been rife, about whether the decision has been taken in haste or if it’s a prudent one. Floyd Mayweather Jr.‘s uncle Jeff Mayweather has his own take.
FightHype caught up with Jeff Mayweather in Las Vegas. The former super featherweight titleholder marked his presence during the final face-off between David Benavidez and David Morrell. A few minutes after he checked for Mayweather’s views on tonight’s main event, the reporter sought his opinion on Gervonta Davis’s prospects against Lamont Roach Jr.
“Gervonta Davis and Lamont Roach set the fight for March 1st. Uh, how do you feel? How do you feel about that fight? What do you think is going to happen?” he asked. Jeff Mayweather was very candid. He admitted that he had little knowledge about Roach Jr. “I can only pick Tank because I know what he can do,” he replied.
“What do you think about Tank saying he’s going to retire, uh, pretty soon?” The next question came. “To be honest, he’s doing the right thing,” confessed Jeff Mayweather. He acknowledged that some people may disapprove of the decision. However, it may not be such a bad thing. It might as well be a smart choice.
“I think it’s great for him to walk away from his sport with all his faculties and spend some time with his family, plus he made plenty of money, and I think that’s wise, I think, very wise for him,” said Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s uncle.
Now contrast this with what some of Gervonta Davis’s contemporaries mentioned. When faced with the same line of questioning, Devin Haney remained noncommittal. Given that he fights at 140 pounds and perhaps plans on moving up further, chances of a clash with ‘Tank’s don’t seem imminent. The duo didn’t dance even when they were colleagues in the lightweight division. So Haney’s response could be understood in that context.
But the same could not be the case with Shakur Stevenson. As a WBC title holder, his title unification dream means crossing paths with the Baltimorean. Last year the two were close to a matchup; however, the prospect eventually faded away as time passed. Speaking with the media, Stevenson felt that Gervonta Davis’s latest doesn’t bode well since it shows certain weaknesses. “If he wants to retire with the career that he got, then go ahead and do whatever you got to do. I disagree with it. I think it’s soft, but that’s on him,” said the Newark-born southpaw.
A common issue but different perspectives. However, for sure, given a choice, many fans would rather Gervonta Davis doesn’t retire from the game while still in his prime.
The tale of Mexico vs. Cuba has always been an alluring narrative for fight fans, and David Benavidez vs. David Morrell didn’t disappoint.
However, in the end, Benavidez was the one to get his hand raised by unanimous decision. But WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis wasted no time halting the celebrations, immediately accusing referee Thomas Taylor of cheating.
From the first bell, both fighters were determined to deliver what fans paid money to watch—an absolute slugfest. Both fighters exchanged blows as if a knockout finish was the only answer. By the fourth round, Morrell had Benavidez hurt and leaning back on the ropes with a surprise right hook. The once invincible Benavidez looked vulnerable for the first time in a long time.
However, Benavidez remained on the front foot, pressuring Morrell back and relying on counters rather than bringing the action. As a result, Benavidez kept breaking through Morrell’s guard to land brutal uppercuts. Still, Morrel’s resolve wasn’t about to waver even if he stayed on the back foot. Benavidez even took the break after the sixth round as an opportunity to remind viewers he is the ‘El Monstoro’.
Benavidez’s performance reflected that, as by the 8th round, Benavidez had landed a lot more punches. Slowly but surely, Benavidez’s power and pressure had started to show its effects on Morrell. By the ninth round, the Cuban was clearly fatigued, and both Benavidez and his corner were well aware of it. ‘The Mexican Monster’ was comfortably ahead on the unofficial scorecard. The only lingering question was: how much longer could Morrell hang on?
As the fight went into the championship rounds, the once-Morrell showboating in the early rounds had to watch Benavidez take up that role. Morrell, with advice from his corner, tried to steal the last two rounds with aggression, but Benavidez invited the action. However, near the end of the 11th round, Morrell scored a surprise knockdown.
Still, the referee deducted a point from Morrell for punching after the bell, putting Benavidez back on top. The judges scored the fight 115-111 twice and 118-108, all for Benavidez. In the meantime, Davis hopped on X to take shots at the referee, writing, “The ref cheatinggg!!!!”
Meanwhile, Benavidez has confirmed more good news for his fans.
For the past few years, David Benavidez had one goal to fight super middleweight king Canelo Alvarez. However, with his latest win, it appears he has abandoned his dream for now, at least. After acquiring Morrell’s WBA (regular) WBA light heavyweight strap, and his WBC ‘Interim’ light heavyweight belt, he has confirmed his position as the WBC mandatory challenger to the winner of Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol.
The Ring Magazine provided the update on X, writing, “David Benavidez has now confirmed his position as the WBC mandatory challenger to fight the winner of the Feb 22nd Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol rematch for the undisputed light-heavyweight world titles.” The winner of the February 22nd rematch could be fighting again for the undisputed title later this year.
That said, even though Gervonta Davis isn’t exactly happy about referee Thomas Taylor deducting a point from Morrell, Benavidez has officially moved to a bigger challenge.
There was one man, however, who has accused ‘Money’ of avoiding a fight with him. That man is Brazilian boxing legend and two-weight world champion Acelino Freitas, who is often regarded as one of the most underrated fighters of all time.
Freitas rose from a poverty-stricken childhood to become an accomplished fighter who captured world titles at lightweight and super featherweight, in a career that spanned 22-years.
“So many were running from me when I made 10 defenses [of lightweight and super featherweight titles].
I wanted to fight Floyd Mayweather but he did not want to fight me. It was easier for these guys to run from me. You can’t blame them.”
Freitas lost on just two occasions throughout his 43-fight career. He defeated the likes of Joel Casamayor and Barry Jones during his tenure, but did fall short in his 2004 contest with the late-great Diego Corrales, suffering a tenth-round stoppage victory at the hands of ‘Chico’.
‘Popo’ retired from unofficially professional boxing in 2017, but has since had four exhibition contests in his native Brazil.
It’s a battle of the unbeatens as David Benavidez puts his interim WBC light heavyweight title on the line against reigning WBA light heavyweight champion David Morrell in Las Vegas.
Boasting an impressive 29-0 record with 24 of his victories coming by way of knockout, Benavidez is quickly emerging as one of professional boxing’s top stars. In his last three outings, ‘El Bandera Roja’ has bagged big wins over Caleb Plant, Demetrius Andrade, and Oleksandr Gvozdyk — the latter of which earned him the interim WBC light heavyweight strap.
Now, he’ll put his gold up for grabs against Morrell, an 11-0 fighter with an 82% finish rate, and his sights set on adding another title to his growing collection.
Morrel starts with a jab to the body and throws a couple of right hands that are just out of range. Benavidez fires back with a left-right followed by a right hook. Benavidez jabs to the head and then the body. Morrell ducks in and lands a nice right. Both fighters are showing off their speed early, but it appears that Benavidez is the man with more power. Morrell unleashes four unanswered punches as he’s definitely the more active fighter with a minute to go in the round.
Benavidez lands to the body and Morrell comes right back with a jab that gets through his opponent’s guard. Benavidez sits down on his punches, ruthlessly attacking Morrell’s body in the center of the ring. Morrell is keeping the volume coming, but
Round 2
Benavidez lands a couple of lefts right out the gate and puts Morrell on his back foot. Morrell uses his jab to punch his way off the ropes. Benavidez responds with a power right. Morrell comes right back with a combination and a big shot to the body. Benavidez gives him his receipt, landing a nasty uppercut to the midsection. Both fighters are standing in the pocket and slinging heavy leather. Morrell throws an uppercut to the chin and then connects with a right hook.
With 10 seconds left in the round, they stand and trade. Morrell showboats a bit, dropping his hands and shrugging after eating a shot from Benavidez. Morrell heads back to his corner with a big smile on his face.
Benavidez throws a powerful right hand that backs Morrell into the corner. Morrell circles his way out and attempts to get Benavidez moving backward with a flurry of strikes near the ring ropes. Morrell throws a right uppercut that narrowly misses. Benavidez rips to the body but gets a warning for the shot being below the belt. Morrell throws a four-punch combo and Benavidez waves him on, asking for more.
Benavidez unleashes a combination of his own. Morrell again misses with the uppercut in close. Benavidez backs Morrell into a corner again, but Morrell punches his way out and avoids taking any more damage before the bell sounds.
Round 4
Morrell lands a right hand, but it’s Benavidez who’s controlling the action early, working Morrell into the corner and lighting him up with blows to the head and body. Morrell tries to fight his way out, but not before eating a couple of stiff shots in the process. Benavidez again puts Morrell against the ropes and Benavidez lands a big uppercut. Morrell uses a couple of lefts to himself out of danger.
Morrell is fighting entirely on the back foot now as Benavidez has taken complete control of the ring. Benavidez clips Benavidez with a vicious straight right hand near the corner, but that seems to spark something in his opponent as Morrell responds with a barrage of strikes in the corner and appears to have Benavidez on the ropes. Benavidez comes right back with a combination right before the bell.
Round 5
Benavidez immediately backs Morrell up but neither fighter lands anything substantial through the first minute of the round. Benavidez is doing a good job of slipping Morrell’s shots. Benavidez doubles on the jab as Morrell moves forward and connects with a couple of solid shots to the body of Benavidez. As Morrell circles away from the ropes, Benavidez pops him with a left, landing his most significant strike in an otherwise lackluster round from Benavidez.
Round 6
Morrell is dancing around the ring and Benavidez is in hot pursuit. Benavidez traps Morrell in the corner long enough to land a combination. Morrell circles away, but Benavidez stays right on him and continues to pepper Morrell with shots against the ring ropes. Benavidez continues to punish the body and throws a right followed by a booming left uppercut that has Morrell backing up. Benavidez starts to unload which prompts Morrell to start fighting back.
Morrell gets Benavidez backed to the ropes and throws a few potshots before Benavidez fights his way out. Benavidez misses with a left hook to the body. Benavidez lands a lead right hand to the body and unloads a couple of uppercuts as the round comes to a close.
Round 7
Benavidez lands a jab to the body and Morrell gives him one right back. Benavidez retakes the center of the ring and rips to the body. Morrell responds with a three-punch combo, but none of them get through Benavidez’s guard. Morrell lands and uppercut. Benavidez delivers an uppercut of his own as the fighters stand in the phone booth and trade. Morrell eats a stiff body shot and takes a deep breath.
Benavidez lands a left and Morrell comes back with a combination. Benavidez lands a right to the body and Morrell gives him his receipt. They continue to go blow-for-blow with Benavidez and Morrell trading rights. Benavidez goes back to working the body as the 10-second clacker sounds. Benavidez lands one more short shot just before the bell.
Round 8
Benavidez continues to march forward. Morrell jabs to try and keep Benavidez at bay as Benavidez jabs to the body. Benavidez lands a glancing left. Morrell lands a counter left that gets a reaction from the crowd. After spending much of the seventh round throwing one punch at a time, Morrell is starting to put together combinations, catching Benavidez with a left to the chin. Benavidez continues to wear on his, landing a right hook, but Morrell comes right back with a combination.
Benavidez backs Morrell to the ropes and unloads some power shots. Morrell lands a right before circling away from and riding out the last few seconds in the round.
Round 9
They meet in the center of the ring. Morrell is throwing shots, but Benavidez’s jab is keeping Morrell just out of range of landing. Benavidez starts to open up, landing shots to the body and uppercuts to the face. Morrell covers up and patiently waits before firing back with a three-punch combination. Benavidez connects with a right hook. Morrell fires right back, going to the body of Benavidez.
Morrell is once again throwing one punch and a time and backing up. Benavidez pursues and rips to the body, but eats a counter right at the end of the round.
Round 10
Through nine rounds, Morrell has thrown more strikes but hasn’t landed nearly as many as Benavidez. Morrell is doing his best to fend off Benavidez with single strikes, but Benavidez is undeterred and lands a stiff uppercut. Morrell throws a right and eats a counter over the top. Benavidez rips to the body as Morrell is covering up and missing with every swing he takes. Benavidez lands a counter right hand and starts to showboat with a little shuffle against the ropes. That gets the crowd riled up as we head into the penultimate round.
Round 11
Benavidez opens with a couple of right hands down the middle before going back to his jab. Perhaps knowing he needs a knockout to win, Morrell starts to move forward and connects with a combination against the ropes. Benavidez lands a left hook to the body. Benavidez follows that up with a lead right, but it’s Morrell who is sitting down on his punches, throwing with lethal intent against the ropes.
Benavidez encourages Morrell to keep throwing as we hit the two-minute mark of the round. Morrell eats a jab before connecting with a counter left that puts Benavidez on the mat for just the second time in his career. Benavidez answers the count and immediately comes out with a vengeance, looking to even the score. As the fighters continue to throw, the bell sounds signaling the end of the round. Benavidez begins to back away, but Morrell throws one more shot that connects.
The referee brings a pause to the bout and immediately deducts a point from Morrell for the late shot, essentially negating the knockdown he scored moments before.
Round 12
With time running out, Morrell comes out fighting fast and furious. Morrell is throwing with intent, but Benavidez lands with a stiff left. Morrell comes with a couple of right hooks followed by a left. Benavidez connects with a left to the body and then an uppercut. Morrell throws a three-punch combo but eats a left hook from Benavidez. With a minute left in the fight, Morrell appears to be nearly out of gas as Benavidez keeps the pressure coming. Morrell throws a looping left that’s just out of range.
As we hit the last 10 seconds of the fight, both fighters decide to show off for the crowd. Morrell throws one more desperation left, but he’s too far out of range and the fight ends with Benavidez celebrating what should be his 30th career win.
Official Result: David Benavidez def. David Morrell via unanimous decision (115-111, 115-111, 118-108)
Just a few months following his controversial showdown with Mike Tyson, Jake Paul is now being targeted by another former world heavyweight champion.
The 28-year-old YouTube star turned professional fighter defeated ‘Iron’ Mike in an 8-round heavyweight contest at the AT&T Stadium in Texas last November, picking up the eleventh win of his storied boxing career.
Paul received heavy criticism for going ahead with a fight against the once formidable heavyweight legend, who hadn’t fought as a professional since losing to Kevin McBride back in June 2005. ‘The Problem Child’ was reluctant to throw certain shots during the 8-rounds he shared with Tyson, which fuelled rumours that the fight itself was ‘scripted’.
Sharing a message he has sent to Paul on Instagram, ‘The Cannon’ made it clear that he wants to face the 28-year-old next, claiming ‘Iron’ Mike was only in it for the ‘money’.
“You wanna run it, or just run? Mike [Tyson] wanted the money I just want [blood]. Let’s go champ!”
Briggs – who was the WBO Heavyweight Champion from 2006-2007 has had his sights set on returning to the sport for a few years, calling out a number of both active and inactive heavyweight fighters including former long-reigning unified heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.
The 53-year-old, hailing from the same area in Brooklyn as Tyson, was last in the ring 9-years ago when he knocked out Emilio Zarate during the 1st-round of their contest at the O2 Arena in London. It was his 53rd stoppage victory.
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