Dmitry Bivol has already defeated Canelo Alvarez. And formidable fighters like Artur Beterbiev and David Benavidez are generally seen as legitimate threats to the one-time pound-for-pound king from Mexico.
Bob Santos believes you should add another fighter to the latter list: super middleweight contender David Morrell, who Santos co-trains.
Morrell gave a sensational performance this past Saturday at The Armory in Minneapolis, where he dominated and then stopped Aidos Yerbossynuly in the 12th and final round.
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“No doubt he beats Canelo,” Santos told me and Kenneth Bouhairie on The PBC Podcast. “… Morrell is taller than Bivol, a lot longer than Bivol. He’s left-handed. I can tell you for a fact he’s a bigger puncher than Bivol. What could Canelo do to beat him? He ain’t going to outbox [Morrell]. …
“Basically he can do everything Bivol can do but he’s better, longer and faster.”
Santos, who has worked with many fighters over the past three decades, didn’t stop there. He also believes that Morrell (8-0, 7 KOs) would also beat Benavidez, who is generally is as the No. 2 168-pounder behind Alvarez.
Morrell has said he’d like to face Benavidez in his next fight, but the former two-time titleholder is on track to face Caleb Plant.
“I know David Benavidez real well,” he said. “… I think the utmost of him. He’s uber-talented. That said, David Morrell is just different. There’s no doubt in my mind that David Morrell would be victorious against him. The same thing with Caleb Plant or any of those guys.
“David Morrell is a special, special talent. Believe me when I say that.”
Morrell gave the previously unbeaten Yerbossynuly a severe beating, after which the Kazakh fighter was transported to a nearby hospital. He was placed in a coma and remains in critical, but stable condition.
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