Morrell parted ways with longtime coach Ronnie Shields and brought in Cuban coach Ismael Salas, a move he described as necessary, not dramatic.
“2026 will be my year. I want to fight for the undisputed 175-pound world title,” Morrell said on the show El Palco Podcast. “There’s an critical fight coming up first, probably against Callum Smith or someone at that level.”
This fight remains unresolved. The WBO has ordered Morrell to face Smith in July 2025, but negotiations between Matchroom and Warriors Boxing and TGB Promotions have stalled amid multiple extensions. The situation remains unresolved despite the calendar change.
For Morrell, the biggest changes are happening in the gym. He said the decision to leave Shields was one of timing and clarity rather than dissatisfaction.
“I decided to change coaches because I needed a fresh voice in my corner, someone who would now understand me better,” Morrell said. “Ronnie has done a great job for many years. It’s time to evolve and improve on the details that I have seen in my recent fights, especially in defense and dealing with pressure.”
He was more blunt about the direction under Salas. “I want to be smarter and not just rely on power. Thanks to Salas, we are fine-tuning all this to be ready for the gigantic names.”
These details mattered in 2025. Against both Benavidez and Khataev, Morrell spent long periods of time under fire, going about his job without responding. When he released his hands, he injured both men. Then he stopped. Khataev even dropped him in the fifth round in a split decision that many believed could have gone the other way.
Morrell didn’t close the door on Benavidez either. “A lot of people are asking for a rematch. If, of course, he decides to stay in the lithe heavyweight division, I would be very content,” Morrell said. “I learned a lot from that fight. It would have been a different war.”
If Morrell is earnest about this path, the improvement must be noticeable. The power is there. It’s always been like this. The next version needs to take advantage of this before the fight slips away.
Dan Ambrose was the main voice in Boxing News 24 known for years for its sensible approach to sport. You can love him or hate him. Dan has developed a mighty fan base for his candid analysis, direct opinions and in-depth coverage of the global boxing scene.
His articles often spark discussions among fans because he is not afraid to challenge popular narratives or question players’ performances. In addition to opinions, Dan provides fight news, previews, and post-fight analysis that provide readers with both detail and perspective.
Canelo Alvarez could face some grave resistance if he tries to become a three-time undisputed 168-pound champion.
The 35-year-old hasn’t fought since last September, when he lost his four major super middleweight titles in a unanimous decision loss to Terence Crawford.
However, judging by his results, the Mexican is still able to compete at the world level, just not with such a great generation as Crawford.
Among the names mentioned as potential opponents is Christian Mbilli, who was elevated from “interim” to full WBC champion shortly after Crawford’s retirement.
Earlier, the Frenchman achieved a fascinating 10-round draw with Lester Martinez, who was on the Canelo-Crawford card.
As for the other 168-pound champions, there’s also Jose Armando Resendiz and Osleys Iglesias, with Hamzah Sheeraz seeking to capture the vacant WBO world title on May 23.
Standing in his way is Al Begic, whom the 26-year-old must defeat on the card in the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven match before setting his sights on a fight with Canelo.
Ultimately, however, Sheeraz actually sees himself fighting the four-division world champion Ring Magazine that he can apply the WBO belt as a bargaining chip.
“I have to admit it would be nice to get Canelo. And of course it would be a lot more lucrative if I won the world title earlier.
“I’m sure his plan is to try and become undisputed [champion] again, God willing, I will become world champion on May 23. I will stand in the way of him becoming undisputed [champion].
“Maybe we will finally fight for all the belts. I feel like this fight can definitely blossom in the future.”
For an undisputed clash between Canelo and Sheeraz to take place, the pair must win their next fights well and together dethrone the remaining champions in their division.
Mauricio Sulaiman says Terence Crawford was aware of the WBC’s reported $300,000 penalty charge long before his undisputed fight against Canelo Alvarez last September, providing a different version of the recent dispute over the champion’s title costs
The WBC president addressed the issue during a recent interview after Crawford publicly questioned why the organization would not honor terms that he believed had been accepted by other sanctioning bodies. Sulaiman said the amount had already been communicated in advance and was not a surprise once the fight was finalized.
“He knew well in advance what the WBC estimated for this particular fight and it was supposedly 300,000. That was the upper limit,” Ring Champs said of Crawford before his fight with Canelo.
Sulaiman added that this amount is lower than the percentage the organization says it can collect under its regulations. He said the WBC capped the fee rather than applying the full rate.
The dispute became a topic of discussion after Crawford publicly responded to previous comments related to the sanctions process. Sulaiman avoided escalating the exchange, saying he did not want to personally criticize Crawford.
“I’m not going to talk bad about Crawford,” Sulaiman said.
He also said that fighters and promoters receive contracts and terms before title fights are approved, describing the process as standard practice and not something created for a single event.
“There are contracts. When you as a promoter give in and get sanctioned, there are rules,” Sulaiman said.
When a player earns tens of millions, the standard 3% suddenly becomes sedate money, and that’s when the backlash usually begins.
The comments highlight a long-standing problem in boxing, where sanction fees are often accepted during negotiations but become controversial when vast funds are involved. Huge fights usually reveal how much power the belts still carry.
Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fighting landscape. His reports focus on the most significant fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.
Before their meeting, many suspected Spence was the top dog at 147 pounds, even after a life-threatening car accident in 2019.
He eventually recovered from the traumatic incident with back-to-back victories over Danny Garcia and Yordenis Ugas, but suffered an undisputed defeat against Crawford.
As a result, Spence is set to make his long-overdue move to 154 pounds before his next appearance, with Report from the boxing scene that he will face former super welterweight champion Tim Tszyu on July 25 in Australia.
It was also recently reported that Tszyu had named Jeff Fenech as head coach after he fired his training team for the second time in three fights.
This followed the Australian’s unanimous decision victory over Denis Nurja in Wollongong, Australia earlier this month, which followed an equally dominant triumph over Anthony Velazquez in December at the TikTok Entertainment Center in Sydney.
Meanwhile, the 31-year-old lost in the seventh round to Sebastian Fundora in July 2025 during his last meeting at world level.
Tszyu previously lost a split decision in their first meeting before finding himself facing a three-round demolition task against Bakhram Murtazaliev in 2024.
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