Morrell, who had been set to face Smith for his WBO interim light heavyweight title, used the moment to publicly challenge Whittaker following the reshuffle that moved him into the main event against Braian Nahuel Suarez.
“Ben Whittaker, I’m ready to fight on April 18th. How are you older than me and still a prospect? Let’s give the fans the fight they want to see,” said Morrell on social media.
It looks like Morrell is using shame as a tactical weapon here. In boxing, there is a massive difference between a prospect, someone being built, and a contender, someone taking real risks.
By calling him a prospect at 28, Morrell is telling the world that Whittaker is being protected, and in boxing, that’s the ultimate insult.
The frustration from fans, and clearly from Morrell, comes from a few key factors that make Whittaker’s current path look like he’s being babied.
At 28, turning 29, Whittaker is actually older than Morrell, yet their resumes aren’t in the same universe. As an Olympic silver medalist, Whittaker was expected to be on the fast track.
Usually, elite amateurs skip the 4-round taxi driver phase and jump into 10-rounders against regional champions by their 8th or 9th fight.
Morrell won a world title (WBA Regular super middleweight) in just his third professional fight. He didn’t wait for the right time.
Braian Nahuel Suarez is the definition of a safe choice for a headliner. While he has a high knockout ratio, his previous trip to the UK saw him lose to Lyndon Arthur.
For a fighter with Whittaker’s hype and WBC/IBF rankings (#3 and #5, respectively), Suarez feels like a lateral move rather than a step up. Morrell is pointing out that if you’re ranked in the top 5, you shouldn’t be fighting guys whose ceiling is tough out.
Morrell is a high-risk, low-reward opponent for someone like Whittaker. Morrell is dangerous, technically sound, and hits much harder than anyone Whittaker has faced.
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