By Joseph Herron: The highly anticipated showdown to crown boxing’s next superstar, titled “The Coronation of King David: Benavidez vs. Morrell,” is ready to happen on the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on February 1, 2025. The essential event pits two undefeated fighters, David Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) and David Morrell Jr. (11-0, 9 KOs), against one another in a clash that has already sparked a fiery confrontation between the camps.
Adding to the mounting anticipation, renowned boxing trainer James Gogue, who has five a long time of experience in the game, recently assessed the stakes on the W.A.W. BOXING podcast. While Benavidez is currently the slight betting favorite (-180) at most sportsbooks, Gogue believes the Phoenix native faces a formidable challenge.
“David Morrell Jr. is an incredibly gifted fighter,” Gogue remarked. “You would see his natural talent from the moment he made his pro debut five years ago. He’s an explosive puncher with each hands, has exceptional hand and foot speed, quick reflexes, and excellent hand-eye coordination. His ability to change seamlessly between orthodox and southpaw stances makes him dangerous in any situation. On top of that, his timing, understanding of range and distance, and flexibility—whether fighting from mid-range, long-range, or in close quarters—make him the overall package.”
Team Benavidez has been critical of Morrell’s relatively short skilled profession, arguing that his lack of experience could possibly be an obstacle. Nevertheless, Gogue counters this skepticism with several compelling arguments.
“Yes, Morrell only has 11 pro fights on his record, but he’s got a deep amateur pedigree,” Gogue explained. “He’s faced nearly every style conceivable within the amateurs. Add that to his natural athleticism and the guidance of Ronnie Shields, one of the crucial experienced trainers in boxing, and he doesn’t need 40 pro fights to tackle the perfect within the division.”
Ronnie Shields, Morrell’s Hall of Fame-bound trainer, echoed these sentiments during his own podcast, “Real Boxing with Ronnie Shields.”
“David Morrell Jr. is essentially the most athletically gifted fighter in boxing today,” Shields asserted. “He’s able to humble David Benavidez on February 1. The true query fans needs to be asking is whether or not fighters like Benavidez, Dmitry Bivol, and Artur Beterbiev are ready for Morrell.”
While Morrell’s skills and potential are widely acknowledged, Gogue highlighted a critical unknown heading into this career-defining bout.
“There’s a lot to love about Morrell and his future, but we’ve never seen him in a troublesome fight,” Gogue observed. “We don’t know the way he’ll handle adversity or how strong his chin is. In boxing, there’s an old saying: never get too high on a prospect until you see how well they’ll take a punch. We’ll likely get that answer on February 1 when he faces someone like Benavidez, who’s knocked out 24 opponents in only 29 fights.”
The stakes couldn’t be higher because the boxing world awaits the end result of “The Coronation of King David: Benavidez vs. Morrell.” This epic clash won’t only determine the subsequent dominant force within the Light Heavyweight division but additionally introduce boxing’s next superstar to the American market. Tune in on Saturday, February 1, for this PBC Pay-Per-View event on Prime Video, starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
