Will The Fast Track Be Too Fast For David Morrell?

Super Middleweight boxer David Morrell has high expectations on his shoulders

Typically, when a boxer progresses from the amateurs to the pro ranks, its a slow and somewhat tedious process. The fighter is moved slowly to acclimate to the new rules, roughness and different talent levels. If moved too fast, it could prove to be disastrous to a fighter mentally, physically or both. Nevertheless, there are instances where boxers were moved at a very rapid pace. This is the scenario that rising super middleweight David Morrell Jr (4-0, 3 KO’s) finds himself in.

Well back in his amateur days, the talent of the Cuban born fighter was undeniable. This is why, for those familiar with him, it was no surprise he amassed the impressive amateur record of 135-2. Among his many amateur accomplishments ,Morrell has claimed Cuban National School Game titles and Cuban National Youth Championships. The talented southpaw also captured a gold medal in the 178-pound division of the 2016 World Youth Under-19 Championships.

With his high in-ring pedigree, his team could not find any reason not to place him on the fast track professionally. This is why the PBC fighter fought for, and won, the interim WBA world super middleweight title in only his third bout. Morrell went on to beat Lennox Allen by way of unanimous decision to take possession of the title. Four months later, the Cuban knocked out Mike Gavronski in a quick three rounds.

NOW WHERE DO WE GO?

Now the question is, where does the tricky southpaw go from here? Right now, the WBA world super middleweight champion is Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (54-1-2, 36 KO’s). The #3 WBA ranked 168-pounder is former WBC world super middleweight champion David “Red Flag” Benavidez (23-0, 20 KO’s). So, Morrell is already literally sandwiched in the rankings by extremely dangerous fighters. Should he be expected to face such stiff competition? Or will his team try to avoid the bigger sharks in the water to allow him time to acclimate?

Honestly speaking, it is a tough assignment to require a newly established professional to square off with seasoned veterans. If matched with the previously mentioned top dogs, it is only logical to think Morrell would suffer a comprehensive loss. That is why it is very rare to see a boxer get a title shot within his first ten bouts. Yet, at the same time, once one jumps in the deep end, you cannot cry when you are handled roughly.

OFF TO A ROUGH START

Morrell has already experienced some of the rigors that come with professional fighting. In his last bout with Gavronski, the Cuban failed to make weight and came in two pounds heavy. Luckily for Team Morrell, the bout was able to proceed without him losing his interim title. The belt simply was not on the line for the contest. Once in the ring however, Morrell easily dominated the short contest.

So for now, we must just wait and see what he does next. Was the hiccup on the scales a minor one-time mishap or a sign of undisciplined things to come? Will Morrell attempt to secure the big fights at 168 or stay off the radar? Or will he decide to jump up to light heavyweight? There just is no telling what will come next. Given how he has launched his career however, whatever comes next should be interesting!

By: Bakari Simpson

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