By Ricardo Lezama 
The world of boxing saw another thrilling night as WBC Interim Light Heavyweight champion David Benavidez battled previously undefeated WBA World Light Heavyweight champion David ‘Osvary’ Morell. Benavidez, also known as ‘The Mexican Monster,’ battered his way to a victory with a unanimous 12-round decision in a WBC and WBA title eliminator. That is to say, the eliminator was for both boxing associations.
The victory holds significant implications for Benavidez, as it puts him in line to challenge the winner of the upcoming fight between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. Morrell, 26, was one of the more promising figures in the division and at times even stunned Benavidez with either power or timing. However, Benavidez seemed able to absorb even the most direct shots.
For now, the match is an instant classic Benavidez’s boxing career. Despite the fierce success for Benavidez, there were a few exciting moments for Morrell, who gave Benavidez a tough challenge during spurts of the match. Benavidez’ left eye was somewhat puffy and a light cut opened over his right eye. This was not the first formidable southpaw that Benavidez has faced, as he has now a victory over both Morrell and the heralded Demetrius Andrade.
T-Mobile
The event, held at the T-Mobile Arena, saw Benavidez continue his unbeaten run, extending his tally to 30-0, as Morell tasted his maiden defeat on professional turf, with his record reducing to 11-1. The crowd looked more or less sold out too, suggesting that David Benavidez is becoming a bigger draw over the years.
In a series of excellent rounds, Benavidez gradually got the upper hand and regardless of Morrell’s best efforts seemed to always be ahead of the Cuban phenom. This was so despite Tim Bradley, ex-world champion and boxing analyst, having previously warned that Morell shouldn’t be underestimated. Indeed, Morell’s performance earned him a lot of praise, despite the loss, but the power or activity was never quite on his side. One speculates whether the power for Morrell was sufficient only for lesser opponents. Benavidez mentioned in the end of the fight that his power was effectively null and that he was incentivized early to walk through it.