Jose Benavidez Sr. says his son, ‘The Mexican Monster’, David Benavidez, has “Nothing to gain” and “everything to lose” in his fight against WBA ‘regular’ light heavyweight champion David Morrell on February 1st.
The “Nothing to Gain” argument.
Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) is better known and more experienced against Cuban Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs). Fans unfamiliar with Morrell, 26, won’t give Benavidez credit for beating him. If he loses to him, it will be a disaster, destroying his hopes of fights against Artur Beterbiev, Dmitry Bivol and Canelo Alvarez.
You wonder why Benavidez bothered to take this fight against Morrell with so much to lose. Jose Sr. say they accepted the challenge because they want to prove to fans that they are the best at 175, just like they showed when they were at 168.
The networks and the fans were interested in the fight between Benavidez and Morrell and they had to take this risky fight because the alternatives were just as difficult against Joshua Buatsi.
“The plan for Team Benavidez, ‘The Mexican Monster,’ is to make history and be the best in the division. We are here to give the fans what they want to see,” Jose Benavidez Sr. told YSM Sports Media.
Of course we want the big fights: the Canelo fight, the Beterbiev fight, the Bivol fight and the Zurdo Ramirez fight. I believe we have to keep showing and giving the fans what they want to see.
“We just have to stay active. We want to be known as the fighters who never ducked anybody or never ran from anybody. We’re here to deliver the fights that fans want to see. I think it’s a tough fight that the fans want to see,” said Benavidez Sr.
Jose Sr. says they never “ducked” anyone, but fans believe that Benavidez ducked Morrell for two solid years, fighting less dangerous guys, some of them old fighters. Benavidez had claimed that it was better for them to fight the well-known Demetrius Andrade and Caleb Plant than to face Morrell. Andrade is not popular. It also doesn’t explain why Benavidez fought David Lemieux, Ronald Ellis and Kyrone Davis.
“We are fighting a Cuban who is a young, strong left-hander and a two-time world champion,” Jose Sr. said. “It’s not an easy fight, but I believe in my heart and what I see from David [Benavidez] training; I think he’s on another level.
“So we’re here to give you guys a great fight and look spectacular to keep claiming through the rankings to one day be the best and make history. That’s the plan. All these fights are tough, but like I said. We will make history.”
If it works out in Benavidez’s favor, he will defeat Morrell and beat the Artur Beterbiev winner vs. The Dmitry Bivol rematch. That would make him the undisputed champion at 175, and likely set up a rematch with whoever he beats to capture the four belts. Canelo could be interested in moving up to light heavyweight to challenge Benavidez for his title because his popularity would be sky high.
“We want to show the people why we are called the best at 168 and 175 because we keep taking these dangerous fights like this fight. What’s there to gain with this fight?” Benavidez Sr. said of the Morrell clash in 32 days. “We have everything to lose and nothing to gain.”
Against the critics
Jose Sr. is wrong to think that the fight against Morrell will not benefit him. This fight will increase Benavidez’s popularity and fans will praise him.
“When we win this game, I guarantee you people will say, ‘Oh, we knew David Morrell wasn’t ready.’ We must keep testing ourselves. We have to give the fans what they want to make history and we keep learning,” Benavidez Sr. said.
