Since the announcement of the David Morrell vs. David Benavidez fight on February 1st, the question has been, why at this weight? The winner of this fight will probably never be able to defeat Artur Beterbiev, let alone Dmitry Bivol, in light heavyweight.
Although the age of Bivol and Beterbiev is closer to 40, I don’t think Morrell or Benavidez can defeat either of the two Russians. In my opinion, the logical thing was to make that fight at super middleweight between them, and the winner put him in front of Canelo Alvarez at a mega event in Las Vegas.
Later, the winner at the 168 would face Canelo at a catchweight against the winner of the Beterbiev-Bivol II fight, possibly at 170 pounds, in a fight that would determine the best among the five.
The economic factor may not be so crucial in any of these fights; Turki Alalshikh has money to give to everyone. But I wanted to see Canelo vs. Bivol again or Morrell or Benavidez again. Also, the possibility of seeing Beterbiev against any of these three Americans was a plus.
The answer to the initial question could be linked to the interests of Mexican Saul Alvarez. It’s no secret that Morrel and Benavidez, while fighting in super middleweight, called Canelo and his team to arrange a fight that still remains attractive to the real fans. For some time, Morrel and Benavidez were the mandatory challengers of Canelo Alvarez.
From another angle, the crushing defeat of Munguía vs. Surace put another obstacle in the plans that have been drawn on the desks of those who handle the threads of boxing. The Frenchman left us with the feeling that Jaime Munguía is not who he seemed to be and that Canelo did not have the power to defeat him in such a forceful way. This leaves Canelo Alvarez with a matter to solve, even in super middleweight.
When the boxing fan left aside the interest of seeing the best vs. the best, money came in to contribute so that it didn’t happen. And the worst is that the fans believed the fights they were given were the best. And if that was not a little, the interim graduates made things worse. Today, a fan knows little about the rankings in each weight category. All that matters is to see the boxer of the moment winning not only fights but millions.
There is still good boxing and great fights to see. Of course, yes, and in all weight categories! What needs to be done is for each one to take their place as it was done before. Give the fan the fight they want to see, if that happens the event is sure to be a success. We can’t say that athletes don’t deserve what they earn, but they should do it the way they are supposed to. Show the title the respect it deserves, not just for the title but for those who sacrificed their lives to obtain it.
We don’t mean that this is not a business-sport. It has been since its inception. The art of sweet science could become a brothel where money is exchanged for a place if we remain steadfast and keep it.
Morrell and Benavidez will have the opportunity to face each other at a weight with which they should have finished their careers. However, intermediate interests forced them to migrate to a weight category in which two giants like Beterbiev and Bivol would not let anyone pass. They are the best in their category and must compete against each other.
Meanwhile, in other ways, they are divulging notes on some websites where a super middleweight who has done most of his career in middleweight wants to face a welterweight because, according to them, that’s the fight that everyone wants to see,… Senseless and irrelevant.
That’s the answer to the question: fights in boxing of this era are made out of time or when they no longer make sense. The fans seem to have no interest, and if they do, the governing bodies of boxing are to blame for keeping the senseless and uncool, as they are part of the business rather than the sport.
I do not want to say that I am not interested in this fight at this weight, nor will I make a prediction about the outcome before February 1st. Like many others, I am a fan and am eager to witness what Morrell and Benavidez can accomplish in this weight class.
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