Trainer Andre Rozier says interim WBC lightweight champion David Benavidez will not defeat undisputed 175lb champion Artur Beterbiev if the two meet. Rozier feels the 39-year-old Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) is still unbeatable after his close call against WBA champion Dmitry Bivol on Saturday night in Riyadh.
Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) still needs to defeat David Morrell in their fight on January 25th for him to have the opportunity to challenge the winner of the Beterbiev vs. Bivol rematch for the four belts at 175.
Rozier picks WBA “regular” champion Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs) to beat Benavidez. He feels that Morrell is too powerful, fast and smooth for Benavidez to beat him. This would be a huge blow to Benavidez’s career as he is already in a position to challenge for the WBC title against the winner of the rematch between Beterbiev and Bivol.
He doesn’t need to fight Morrell to secure a shot at fighting for that belt and the massive payday that comes with it. Benavidez takes the fight with Morrell to increase his popularity and because he is convinced that he can win. Morrell’s last performance against Radivoje Kalajdzic, which was not impressive, made Benavidez feel that he can beat him.
“I’m Team Beterbiev big time. I think it’s going to be more climatic, but that’s what happens when you have the best fight the best. It was an uncontested fight, and Beterbiev and Bivol went in there and gave to the crowd what they wanted,” said Andre Rozier to Pro Boxing fanstalking about last Saturday’s fight between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. “Now, I’d like to see the rematch. It was a close fight.”
His Excellency Turki Alalshikh wants the rematch of Beterbiev-Bivol, so it is likely to see those two meetings in the first half of 2025. Ideally, the rematch will be in March or April, if not earlier, because the fans want to see the winner defends against Benavidez or Morrell.
For US fans, there would be more interest if Beterbiev skipped the rematch with Bivol and fought the Benavidez-Morrell winner. Bivol made the announcement against Beterbiev boxing on the move for the full 12 rounds, and he will do more of the same in the rematch.
It would be more appealing to American fans, who prefer action-based fights, to see Beterbiev face Morrell or Benavidez. Those guys come to fight and they don’t move for 12 rounds like Bivol.
“This is one of the best fights at light heavyweight, outside of Beterbiev and Bivol. I think it’s going to be crazy fireworks in that fight,” Rozier said of the Jan. 25 fight between interim champ WBC lightweight David Benavidez and WBA “regular” champion David Morrell. “It’s going to be crazy.
“I’m going in the direction of David Morrell. I like his smooth boxing style. He can punch, and he has fast hands. Benavidez is a monster. He’s coming to get you, but I think David Morrell has enough to short-circuit his ability.
“No one beats Beterbiev, no one,” Rozier said when asked if David Benavidez will beat Beterbiev. “I don’t care if he slowed down 10 miles. He’s the Bernard Hopkins of this time and period. Bernard Hopkins was doing it until he was 50. He was winning world titles at 45 and 46. It didn’t happen. Nobody beat Beterbiev.
It would be exciting if Benavidez lined up in front of Beterbiev to have a shootout like he did against Oleksandr Gvozdyk. Could Benavidez handle Beterbiev’s powerful punches and bury him with his non-stop punches? It would be a much more entertaining fight than a Beterbiev-Bivol rematch, which will be another cat and mouse affair.
