Disappointed with Morrell

This maybe unpopular but I feel he had the tools to win or at least do a lot better and Ronnie Shields did a terrible job. Dogshit trainer, no really fcvking awful trainer. Everyone tosses this guy off as being this great trainer yet I can't even remember a time when he had a fighter that came in that didn't fight like a total dipsh1t and to his opponents strength. Be Cuban - Win rounds. Instead he tried to out Benavides him. I knew from his amateur days he couldn't box going backwards but I didn't think he'd just stand there getting tee'd off on. Good on the front foot, you push him back he doesn't throw a punch. Absolute dumb as sh1t gameplan. Yeah, exciting but standing in front of him? Are you dumb? Sorry but you talked about lateral movement and called him Robocop yet fought like that yourself. Round 11-12 was more like it but this dumb ass stood in front of David Benavides, static with a high guard, leaving his body exposed. Proving, showing what? You're tough? I knew that. Like come on, who does that? You don't stand in front of this guy. I'm sorry but that was an awful gameplan and it feels wrong saying that as he fought like someone without one. Credit to Benavides - Monster, no but bloody good fighter. Underrated guard first off. Dare I say and yes its an ineffective martial art but its very similar to Wing Chun? I think he smacks everyone but Bivol and Beterbiev. Morrell - I think he has enough skills and is athletic enough to be a force. Not a phenom like they claim but if he had half a brain, some ring IQ to accompany his size/power he'd be a bad dude he is just dumb as his team. I don't think say Plant is as physically gifted nor talented and he hasn't the southpaw factor yet he did better just because he had a gameplan and a solid trainer. Again - unpopular but Morrell is limited and has no ring IQ He hasn't really improved from when he fought Julio Cesar La Cruz in the amateurs - Good talent, can't fight going backwards and does all this shuffling and wasted movement with no purpose. Then or vs Benavides like why for what purpose? Ya miles behind ya twonk

Comments (20)

Ronnie Shields can get you to title level, but I think that's his ceiling. He's a good trainer but the boxing media definitely overhypes him. Buddy MicGirt too imo.

1y ago

Theshotyoudontsee

Benavidez forced him to fight that way. When Morrell attempted to box and move Benavidez was side stepping and making Morrell miss, and then hitting Morrell with hard shots when he was out of posotion. Morrell was landing on mostly gloves all night and Benavidez was sniping Morrel under and around his guard with heavy shots to the head, and landing big body shots as well. By the middle of the fight Morrell was getting beat up, he was hurting and tired and Benavidez just kept coming. Morrell's own corner told him to suck it up. I give him credit for surviving, but Morrell got a rude awakening on where he is level wise. He will learn from this fight and get better, but he got a masterclass in boxing. Benavidez is a rarity in that he isn't athletically built and physically hugely gifted. He is the guy that worked twice as hard at his craft because he had to, and as a result he has a huge boxing IQ and knows exactly what to do and he adjusts incredibly well when needed.

1y ago

CubanGuyNYC

One of the rounds of the year round 4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp5SEqtNjwU Best round in an excellent fight.

1y ago

IceTrayDaGang

how you gon get mad at a fighter for losing lol... it's easier said than done... you brought up all the tools he has but it's not that easy when your opponent have sharper tools than yours.

1y ago

Oracle01

One of the rounds of the year round 4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp5SEqtNjwU

1y ago

El_Mero

He disappointed me too. I didn’t understand it. He was just standing in front of Benavidez with a high guard. He could’ve easily won if he used his feet because his punches were hurting Benavidez. He’s always fought like that because he was always physically superior and would walk guys down but I thought he’d do different against Benavidez Nah, you said he'd badly beat Benavidez, I even tried to bet your punk@ss, acting like you didn't see it. Puta pestosa..Foh

1y ago

El_Mero

Same result would've happened at '68. Benavidez just proved everyone wrong. He's now in a division with Beterbiev and Bivol so Benavidez will have to improve. He's not at 168 where that coward Ginger is, who ducked him like the plague. Morrell is prob better off going back down to 168 imo. His supposed power didn't carry up with him and his cuban style of boxing was never seen either. Theres a bunch of opps at 168 he can fight and given his weak performance vs Benvidez, I sure Ginger would offer him a fight now

1y ago

ImDominicanLipz

1y ago

Nash_out

He should be ashamed of his loss. No boxer should ever lose a fight if they are great, unless they are passed their prime like Tyson Fury for his 2 fights vs Usyk and arguably Mike Tyson when he lost to The Face of Boxing recently. Nash out - His Majesty

1y ago

4truth

Maybe with more experience he'd have realized that if he simply stood and traded with a guy who's all about standing and trading from behind a high guard, he was going to come up second best out of 2. I didn't see evidence of it but I have to assume Morrell has the ability to move. Latterally, in and out, something. What was obvious though was that Benevidez had the better high guard defense and his accurate punches were finding holes in Morrell's. Gotta agree with the OP, Morrell's battle plan sucked.

1y ago

eco1

It is easy to talk from the stands like most of us do. Let's go play second base and see if the ball burns.

1y ago

MulaKO

People talked as if he was a slick cuban boxer, but he seems more like a very athletic and gifted Slugger to me. He wants to b ang and mix it up. Benavidez was too experienced with his guard manipulation and skills at breaking Morrells basic high guard which was more like just shelling up. I think Morrell still has huge potential as a fighter he has it all plus he is tough as nails and has real fighting spirit. I would actually pick him to win a shoot out vs Beterbiev to be honest because it would be a much more straight forward fight than Benavidez and Beterbiev has poor defense, even anthony yarde could not miss him, so it would be a great match up for Morrel. Lmfao

1y ago

ELPacman

I think they both produced an entertaining scrap, but yeah, Morrell didn't impress me much. Granted, maybe Benavidez didn't either which says a lot about Morrell. A lot of other folks haven't gone the distance with Benavidez, but he did. That has to count for something. Though I was surprised how easily Benavidez was landing body shots on him early on. It's like he either couldn't see them coming or was willing to sacrifice his body to land something over the top. I don't know, but I wasn't impressed much beyond he survived.

1y ago

STREET_CLEANER

Experience won the fight. Morrell did much better than expected, he did show chin and stamina. He cannot sustain a whole 3 minutes of a plan, he did well in spots but then was on idle. He was faster than David and was able to move around but David's experience came into play. He should be fine and this is not only a confidence booster but he will have learned a lot from this.

1y ago

Haka

Bena already fought Plant Gvoz, knew he could dig deeper.

1y ago

CubanGuyNYC

Agreed but like I said from the beginning, Benavidez's constant forward pressure and work rate is second to NONE and almost impossible to match so I really don't think there's much more Morrell could've done. Especially since Benavidez was able to handle his power (bar the flash knockdown). Still, he fought his heart out but it will be very difficult for him to become champion as long as Benavidez, Beterbiev & Bivol are around. However, if Beterbiev retires (he's 40yo) and Bivol moves up, I give him a good shot at grabbing a belt as he's LEVELS above the rest of the fighter's in the division e.g. Buatsi, Yarde, Smith etc. You may be right. Perhaps Morrell couldn’t have won with best effort. Nonetheless, I think it’s very much within the realm of possibility that David can improve enough to defeat Benny in a rematch sometime down the line. I can see it happening by 2027. There will be a lot of interest in that if it’s announced. And by the way, that was no knockdown; Benavidez tripped over Morrell’s foot. But by the same token, Benny said that David punched harder than any previous opponent he’s faced. No surprise; you saw the effect of a couple of well landed shots.

1y ago

CubanGuyNYC

1y ago

crimsonfalcon07

Yeah, that was frustrating. He has used lateral movement in other fights, but had a terrible gameplan for this one and made zero adjustments. Many of the tools that should have been effective against Benavidez didn't even get used. Credit to Benavidez I guess for forcing him into his style of fight. I'm definitely disappointed in Morrell. He fought like Callum Smith did vs Beterbiev. Let's just back up to the ropes and let the power puncher tee off. I do think that's an experience issue along with a gameplan issue though.

1y ago

BigBobArum

I gave Benavidez the edge from the start, so I’m not surprised at the outcome. Morrell just didn’t have enough professional experience. His failure to adjust, and what I perceive as Ronnie Shields’ failure as a trainer, did him in.This fight was winnable for the Cuban, perhaps even more so than I thought going in, but his ring IQ was lacking. I’m hopeful that will change as he gains further experience. On the plus side, David showed heart, resilience and a solid chin. He clearly has the makings of a marketable fighter. And although Morrell was annoying me a little with his attitude before the fight, he’s shown great humility and sportsmanship in the aftermath. Agreed but like I said from the beginning, Benavidez's constant forward pressure and work rate is second to NONE and almost impossible to match so I really don't think there's much more Morrell could've done. Especially since Benavidez was able to handle his power (bar the flash knockdown). Still, he fought his heart out but it will be very difficult for him to become champion as long as Benavidez, Beterbiev & Bivol are around. However, if Beterbiev retires (he's 40yo) and Bivol moves up, I give him a good shot at grabbing a belt as he's LEVELS above the rest of the fighter's in the division e.g. Buatsi, Yarde, Smith etc.

1y ago

paulf

Morrell absolutely did not have the tools. Power and chin alone only get you so far. Nothing wrong with the gameplan - Benavidez just did everything better and didn't give Morrell the openings. When Morell fell behind, dude could not just stand in the pocket and throw combinations because Benavidez's inside work was brutal AND David was slipping nearly every single shot from Morrell. Morrell was nowhere near as fast or intelligent in the ring as David. Benavidez's punch selection and accuracy are as good as you'll find in all of boxing. A trainer can only do so much when his fighter isn't on the other guy's level.

1y ago