David Benavidez and David Morrell will collide in a hugely important light-heavyweight showdown in Las Vegas this weekend and our resident boxing expert Rob Tebbutt provides his tips and predictions ahead of the fight.
David Benavidez faces David Morrell in a highly-anticipated light-heavyweight shootout in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
The bout represents on of the finest in all of boxing, pitting two of the most exciting fighters on the planet against one another - with a whole lot of bad blood to boot.
Benavidez has made no secret of his desire to face Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, but in Morrell he may be facing an even tougher test.
The Cuban is a dangerous, well-schooled southpaw with punching power in both hands and Benavidez will have to be wary, particularly early on in the contest.
I feel this is a fight that could go either way, although it is of little surprise to see Benavidez a slight outright favourite, given his greater experience in the professional code.
For all of his talent and skill, Morrell has fought just 11 times in the paid ranks and has only been past four rounds on four occasions.
On the other hand, Benavidez has been the distance with the likes of Caleb Plant, Ronald Gavril and, in his last bout, former lineal light-heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk.
Nevertheless, the danger lies for Benavidez early in the fight, particularly with Morrell’s explosive knockout power and clever footwork.
Benavidez has shown in the past a willingness to dig deep and push the pace late in the fight.
That, for me, gives him a very slight advantage here in what will be an absorbing shootout of a contest from the opening bell.
For the long-odds players, I like the look of David Morrell To Score A Knockdown/David Benavidez To Win especially at an inflated 12/1 price.
I do feel the early rounds will be tricky for Benavidez and wouldn’t be surprised to see him hurt or in trouble before riding the storm out.
There is also some value in Both Fighters To Be Knocked Down at 10/1.
My gut feeling is this is a fight that will not go the distance. There is too much pride and too much ego on both sides and each man is as dangerous as they come.
13/8 for the Fight To Finish Inside The Distance looks a very attractive price.
Expect fireworks from Sin City…
(Odds will display when markets are available).