Jose Benavidez Sr. says he wants his son, David Benavidez, to receive credit from fans after he “Drowns” WBA ‘regular’ light heavyweight champion David Morrell on February 1st at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Jose Sr. feels that his son, ‘The Mexican’ Monster, hasn’t been given the credit he deserved for his long 12-year career, which includes wins against Caleb Plant, Demetrius Andrade, Oleksandr Gvozdyk, and David Lemieux.
Benavidez’s resume lacks a signature win over an elite-level fighter. He’s always had a massive size advantage over his opponent due to his decision to fight a division below his size for 11 years. Jose Sr. and David seem to have a chip on their shoulders and seem bitter despite their success.
“Drowning” the Cuban Star
Benavidez has finally moved up to 175 and is facing his first credible opponent, who isn’t old or much smaller than him, in Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs). It’s anyone’s guess how this fight will turn out.
“He was a very decorated amateur and two-division world champion. So, hopefully, we’re going to get the credit for beating a legit fighter,” said Jose Benavidez Sr. to Fighthype about the former Cuban amateur star David Morrell having experience that a fighter with a lot of pro fights would have.
“We have our game plan of what we’re going to do with this guy [Morrell]. We’re going to take him to the deep waters and try to drown him. Let’s see if he can swim. Amateur and professional, it’s a little bit different. But you’re fighting David Benavidez, ‘The Mexican Monster.’
“It’s not an easy fight for none of us. Not for him, not for us. We got to prove ourselves. We want to make history. These are the kind of fights that we want. Fights that are going to motivate you and make you learn and get better and better,” said Benavidez Sr.
For David Benavidez to make history, he’s going to need to beat the winner of the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 rematch. He’ll also need to move up to cruiserweight and defeat Jai Opetaia. That might be a lot too much for even Benavidez to accomplish, and that’s assuming he’s victorious against Morrell.
“When we fought ‘Boo Boo’ [Demetrius Andrade], a lot of people were saying that David was going to get exposed and make him look like an amateur. Now, they’re saying the same thing about the Cuban. ‘Oh, my God, he’s so fast. He’s this. He’s that.,’” said Jose Sr.
Most boxing fans felt that the 36-year-old Demetrius Andrade was too old, inactive, and small for him to beat the much younger and much bigger Benavidez. On the night of the fight, Benavidez looked like a cruiserweight inside the ring, and there was no way the much smaller Andrade was going to win.
“I’m happy to hear that because it motivates us. Even David Morrell says David fights like a robot. He walks and fights like a robot. But he forgets that he’s a robot Ai, so he’s not going to see the punches coming.
“A lot of people say it’s a 50-50 fight. I don’t think so. In my mind, we’re going to destroy this guy. David is on another level,” said Benavidez Sr. about his son.
A Father’s Hope
Jose Sr. may take this defeat hard if his son, Benavidez, loses to Morrell because this is the last of his sons who have a real career.
He’s pinned his hopes on David Benavidez becoming a star, but it hasn’t happened he’s been in the game for 12 years. That’s when many fighters are washed up and leaving the sport.
Jose Benavidez Jr’s once-promising career has fallen apart since his loss to Terence Crawford in 2018. If David loses to Morrell, that’s it for Jose Sr unless he can come back from the defeat, which may not be easy because the 175-lb division is stacked.
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