Gabriel Rosado says David Morrell has awakened the “Beast” in interim WBC heavyweight champion David Benavidez with his constant insults about him in the build-up to their fight this Saturday, February 1, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Rosado figures Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) will attack Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs), looking to overwhelm him with punches to score a knockout in their 12-round main event clash at PBC on Prime Video Ppv.
Benavidez is not used to being old and is limited “Robocop” A fighter of his opponents, but the more technically talented Cuban Morrell is surprised by how basic he is as a fighter. His size and bulk has been struggling at 168 all these years, and now he's finally stepping up for the first time against a real credible threat, in David Morrell.
It's late in the game for 12-year pro Benavidez, who is dealing with his first test, and he may fall apart on Saturday night.
“A Different Kind of Beast”
“I favor Benavidez. I've known him for years. I favor Benavidez, but you can't sleep on Morrell. This is a fight that Benavidez didn't have to fight in the first place. Morrell was the one who needed this fight,” Gabe Rosado said. Fights Hub TVclaiming that WBA 'regular' light heavyweight champion David Morrell needs this fight against WBC 175lb interim champion David Benavidez.
“Morrell is in a situation where he's hit the jackpot. So if he can in this fight, he's there because nobody really called Morrell. So that shows what a dog Benavidez is. He said, 'Come on, let's go. Let's get it going,'” he said is Rosado, failing to point out that Benavidez has shown no interest in fighting Morrell two years after first calling him out in 2022.
“I think so awakening a different beast in Benavidez Because nobody really deals with Benavidez,” Gabe said of Morrell trashing him, writing off his prowess multiple times and saying he can't punch.
WBA 'regular' 175lb champion Morrell didn't hit the jackpot by taking the fight, as he's the belt holder in this fight, not Benavidez. If Morrell was a contender without a belt, then you could argue that he “hit the jackpot,” but that's not the case. Benavidez is needed here.
“It's going to be a firefight. They're both going to go head-to-head, and it's going to be a matter of who can handle it because they're both going to land shots. I think Morrell is the bigger puncher of the two, but Benavidez takes you out with volume. So, who's going to win?” he said. is Rosado.
This may not be pure fire like what Rosado is predicting as there will be movement from Morrell, who is from the Cuban School of Fighting. They stopped like the fighters Benavidez fought through the first 11 years of his career. The Cuban possesses real ring IQ and will not stand up to fighters known for bulk, like Benavidez.
Power vs volume
“Is it going to be power or is it going to be volume? It's going to come down to it, because I don't think Morrell will be able to match the volume of Benavidez. He keeps hitting you and he doesn't get tired,” Rosado said.
In Benavidez's 'Mexican Monster' fight against Oleksandr Gvozdyk, he was quite tired last June and looked exhausted from the eighth round. The extra weight Benavidez carries now that he's fighting at 175 caught up to him.
Moreover, the shots he's hitting at light heavyweight are a lot tougher than he was when he was campaigning at 168, against David Lemieux, Anthony Dirrell, Demetrius Andrade and Caleb Plant. He didn't like the power he tasted in his debut at 175 against Gvozdyk.
Benavidez's volume only works against stationary fighters. Fighters like William Zepedo and Benavidez, who depend on volume to win, are neutralized by fighters who move and stick.
This is why Zepeda had so much trouble against Tevin Farmer, and why Benavidez will struggle to get his Thots off against Morrell. He will be forced into a long game, throwing single shots, which is not Benavidez's forte.
“So Morrell is definitely going to have to set some traps and land some big shots in that fight,” Rosado said.
Robocop style risky
Morrell will likely box, move and nail Benavidez with huge shots all night. Benavidez will talk in many shots with his Robocop style attack, and it will make Morrell's already terrible power even more deadly.
If you're Benavidez, it would be wiser to put that style on the shelf all the time because Morrell, Artur Beterbiev, Joshua Buatsi and Dmitrij Bivol will.
Benavidez got away with that primitive approach because of the many years he fought at 168 against the limited opposition he fought for. He can't do it at 175 without ending up at Half blood In a year or two, if it even takes that long. Benavidez can't get hit like he did in his light heavyweight debut against Gvozdyk without being overpowered soon.
The 'Mexican Monster' has already had a long twelve-year professional career, and the injuries that are starting to pile up indicate that, physically, she is starting to fall apart like most fighters who have been in the game for a long time.
In chronological terms, Benavidez is young at 28, but the punishment he's taken is the same as any fighter who's been in the sport for over a decade. It's even worse with Benavidez because he fights aggressively, brawling.
