
NEW YORK, NY — David Benavidez has been eying Canelo Alvarez the past few years for a mega fight but has moved on for now. Alvarez to many is the face of boxing and holds all but one of the super middleweight title belts.
However, the Mexican-American has been about creating his legacy, a move to light heavyweight and becoming the new face of boxing. Benavidez in perhaps the toughest fight of his career took care of business Saturday evening in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, a PBC event televised on Amazon Prime PPV and PPV.com.
David Morrell Jr. (11-1, 9 KOs), the 27-year old Cuban with a punch gave 28-year old Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs), a fight losing a unanimous 12-round decision and sustained his first loss. Benavidez retains his Interim WBC Light Heavyweight title and took the WBA Light Heavyweight belt, paving way towards unification.

The Benavidez team following David’s win on Saturday night, what’s next? – Image Credit: Esther Lin/PBC
Regardless of the undefeated status, Benavidez is headed towards a 175-pound unification mega fight at some point this year. He awaits the outcome of a rematch on February 22nd in Saudi Arabia between champion Artur Beterbiev who took the titles from Dmitri Bivol.
So the bigger fights for Benavidez await, one with Alvarez is not on the agenda where he would move down again to 168. Benavidez, though, alluded to opposing the Beterbiev-Bivol winner which has been mandated with the various sanctioning organization.

Artur Beterviev-Dmitry Bivol Part 2 set for February 22nd – Image Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank Boxing
However if the money is too good to turn down, and Alvarez consents to go with it, their fight is inevitable whether it be held in Saudi Arabia or Las Vegas which has become a favorite and preferred venue for both.
Benavidez, though, was more focused on this win and alluded to becoming the ultimate face of boxing, a title that Alvarez still holds because he continues to be an attraction and pay-per-view draw. Alvarez is that rare unified champion in the four-belt era and commands who he fights with two scheduled in May and September.
The May fight assumed to be held at T-Mobile during Cinco de Mayo weekend is an annual date for Alvarez. IBF champion William Skull, is the assumed next opponent, a title that was stripped from Alvarez for not meeting their mandatory opponent.

Canelo Alvarez has made it a tradition to fight on the weekend closest to Cinco De Mayo – Image Credit: Ray Del Rio/PBC
Benavidez, though, does not go with boxing politics. When Morrell Jr. made the challenge there was no backing down, both with an intense back-and-forth animosity and embracing as fighters often do after the final bell.
These are the fights Benavidez accepts as a further challenge, claiming after this win to say, he is in that top five pound-for-pound discussion. Indeed that may be true, though that is also subject to discussion because Benavidez is at least in that top 10 bracket.
Indeed this was that early fight of the year and witnessed over 1000 combined punches thrown. Benavidez got the judges scores of 118-108 and 115-111 twice. This writer had it 115-111, believing Morrell earned more rounds than the first card by a wider margin. Benavidez took control punch by punch and handled hooks and uppercuts from Morrell.
Punches thrown (601 for Morrell vs. 553 for Benavidez)/Benavidez edged in accuracy (40.5% vs. 27.5%) and shots landed (224 vs. 165) according to CompuBox. For Morrell, the toughest fight and challenge of his career, also the first time as a pay-per-view attraction.

David Benavidez and David Morrell Jr. went for blow for blow on Saturday night – Image Credit: ESPN Ringside
“I wasn’t surprised by anything he did because I knew he was a great fighter and that I had to prepare for everything,” said Benavidez. “I knew my defense had to be good. I actually thought he’d hit harder once we were in here. He was easier to hit than I expected. Every opportunity that I saw, I went for it.”
Morrell briefly put the momentum back in his favor in round 11 as he caught an off-balance Benavidez with a counter right hand that put him down for just the second time in his career. However, Morrell connected on a punch that was thrown after the bell ended round 11 and was deducted a point by referee Thomas Taylor.
“It was never bad blood for me,” said Morrell. “This moment feels great because we were able to give everyone a good show. I’m going to work my way back. We’ll watch this fight and learn from what I didn’t do well. We’ll practice more and train harder and earn another fight against Benavidez. I know I can beat him.”

David Benavidez, a Mexican boxing warrior – Image Credit: ESPN Ringside
A rematch, though, will have to wait because Benavidez has his eyes on unifying the titles and awaiting that outcome in Saudi Arabia. But is Alvarez still on his agenda?
“I just want to be the best of my era,” said Benavidez. “Whoever I need to fight next, I’ll be ready for them. I want to unify all four titles, so if that’s next, then that’s next.”
Prior To Benavidez: In the co-main event, former unified champion Stephen Fulton Jr. (23-1, 8 KOs) captured the WBC Featherweight World Championship with an impressive unanimous decision (117-111 and 116-112 twice) victory over two-division world champion Brandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroa (Mexican-American) (25-2-1, 19 KOs) in their championship rematch.

Stephen Fulton Jr. connects a dominant shot on Brandon Figueroa in their bout on Saturday night – Image Credit: Esther Lin/PBC
“It feels good,” said Fulton. “I’m a champion again and for everyone who doubted me, just keep supporting me how you’ve been supporting me, whether it’s negative or positive.”
“He won fair and square,” said Figueroa. “I’d love to fight him again, but right now I just have to go back to the drawing board and get the next one.”
Former world champion Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz (Mexico City) (27-3-1, 18 KOs) defeated contender Angel Fierro (Tijuana, Mexico) (23-3-2, 18 KOs) via unanimous decision (98-92, 97-93, 96-94) after 10 rounds of super lightweight action in an early 2025 Fight of the Year contender that saw the fighters combine to throw 1,410 punches.

Isaac Cruz and Angel Fierro went at it in the ring, looking put on a show for the world – Image Credit: Esther Lin/PBC
“I came here to fight and show the world the best of what I can do and I think I did that,” said Cruz through interpreter Abnar Mares, a three-division champion. “I entertained the crowd and gave them a show. I’m so happy that I gave the fans a great fight with a lot of pressure like I always do and I’m proud to do it with my family here watching.”
“I came here to give the fans a great fight and leave it all in the ring,” said Fierro. “I don’t care about the judges, I care about the fans. But I do hope that ‘Pitbull’ gives me a rematch, because I think I deserve it.”
Cruz and Fierro lived up to their promise to give the fans an “all-out Mexican war” as they went toe-to-toe from the opening bell, throwing powerful shots right from the outset. Cruz set the tone with a huge first round, landing over 50% of his shots, including a career-best 39 power shots.

An all-out Mexican war between Isaac Cruz and Angel Fierro – Image Credit: Esther Lin/PBC
Mexico fighter Jesus “Mono” Ramos (22-1, 17 KOs) with impressive body punching got the eighth-round stoppage of former unified world champion Jeison Rosario (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 24-5-2, 18 KOs) in their middleweight bout scheduled for 10-rounds
“This feels great,” said Ramos. “I was hoping to get the knockout instead of a TKO, but this works for me too. I’m just glad we were able to both come out of the ring healthy.”

Jesus Ramos finds an open window on Jeison Rosario in their fight on Saturday evening – Image Credit: Esther Lin/PBC
The 23-year-old Ramos established a consistent body attack early and often, stalking his opponent around the ring on his way to landing 54 body shots across the first four rounds. With Rosario weary of the body shots, Ramos appeared to have him hurt early in round six when he mixed in a flurry of uppercuts that pushed Rosario to the ropes. Ramos said he was looking at his next fight at returning to super middleweight at 154…
Rich Mancuso is a senior writer and contributor at LatinoSports.com – X (Twitter): @Ring786, Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
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