An Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz vs. Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela rematch is in the works for a joint appearance at the David Benavidez vs. David Morrell event on January 25 in Las Vegas.

Fernando Sabatino reports X that Jose Benavidez Sr., Benavidez’s dad, says the second fight could be a Cruz vs. Rayo. They’re working on it.

This fight would add a lot of value to the headliner between “regular” WBA airy heavyweight champion Morrell (11-0, 9 KO) and WBC interim champion Benavidez (29-0, 24 KO).

The boxing world is already very interested in the Benavidez-Morrell fight, but adding a Valenzuela-Cruz rematch to the card makes it even better.

“Rayo” Valenzuela (14-2, 9 KO) dethroned Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz (26-3-1, 18 KO), defeating him by a 12-round split decision on August 3 in Los Angeles.

It was pure learning from Rayo, who looked like a carbon copy of Vasily Lomachenko, using movement and power shots to dominate the hard-hitting Cruz. The 5’10” Valenzuela controlled the much shorter 5’4″ Cruz with his jab and did well to avoid his powerful shots.

Rayo-Cruz scores

– 116-112: Lightning
– 116-112: Lightning
– 115-113: Pitbull

It’s unclear what the PPV price for the Benavidez-Morrell event will be, but it will likely be over $70. The only two PPV events Benavidez has headlined in his career took place in 2023:

– Caleb’s plant
– Demetrius Andrade

Neither of these events reportedly produced huge PPV numbers, but they weren’t ideal opponents for Benavidez to fight on PPV. Morrell is a different story because he is undefeated, has great strength and is seen as a future star in the sport.

Some believe Morrell has Artur Berterbiev-level hitting power. The only thing missing in Morrell’s game is internal fighting and solid hitting.

Born in Cuba, the 26-year-old Morrell’s popularity skyrocketed during his low five-year professional career, and he won his first world title in his fifth fight, defeating Mario Abel Cazares by knockout in the first round of the “regular” WBA super middleweight belt 27 June 2021

David Benavidez has decided to continue his streak of establishing his own legacy.

confirmed that there has been a drastic change of direction for Benavidez’s next fight. The undefeated former two-time WBC super middleweight world champion will next face David Morrell. Their long-talked-about matchup is being primed to top the PBC Prime Pay-Per-View rankings in the first quarter of 2025.

Further details have not yet been finalized at the time of publication. Multiple sources have told The Ring that the time frame is between delayed January and delayed February.

The event contrasts with Benavidez’s team officials reporting “false” news about the mouth-watering clash with Morrell. Benavidez (29-0, 24 knockouts) even dismissed the fight with one sentence. The 27-year-old Phoenix native – who now lives in the greater Seattle area – previously claimed he was scheduled to face Jesse Hart on December 14.

Hart, who had no knowledge of the matchup, immediately dismissed the rumors. PBC representatives finally ruled out Benavidez’s fight on that day, the main attraction of which will be the fight for the WBA lightweight title of Gervonta Davis-Lamont Roach.

Instead, Benavidez will get his own show, with the fight headlining. The ring learned that some of his team’s claims were “fraudulent news.” In the latest round of rumors, news emerged that the fight was headlined by the long-rumored junior middleweight title fight between Sebastian Fundora and Errol Spence.

This clash is not yet on the schedule. Regardless, Benavidez-Morrell has never been criticized for his undercard, even if Fundora-Spence becomes a reality. The fight is substantial enough to command its own banner, which is why Benavidez ran first in that direction.

“There were a lot of names on the table, but I wanted to give my fans the best fight possible,” Benavidez said on social media on Tuesday. “I contacted David Morrell and his team to make this happen and we signed the contract.

“This fight is really going to be amazing! [Two] of the best in division i [two] titles on the line.”

The titles Benavidez refers to are secondary. Benavidez holds the WBC interim delicate heavyweight title. Morrell (11-0, 9 KO) – a Cuban export training in Houston – holds the interim WBA delicate heavyweight belt.

Both boxers previously fought at super middleweight and were often linked to head-on collisions. It was a natural topic of conversation as both had previously been targeted by RING and undisputed super middleweight king Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KO). However, this feeling was not reciprocated in return.

Benavidez and Morrell separately decided to fight at delicate heavyweight instead.

A pair of undefeated, elite and talented fighters appeared seven weeks apart.

On June 15 in Las Vegas, Benavidez defeated former WBC delicate heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk. The fight was a follow-up to Davis’ eighth-round knockout of undefeated Frank Martin.

Morrell went twelve rounds in a points victory over Radivoje Kalajdzic (29-2, 21 KO) on August 3 in Los Angeles. Their fight was part of the Riyadh Season’s debut premiere in the US, ending with Terence Crawford’s fourth victory over Israil Madrimov.

Rumors of a direct clash continued to resurface, although they seemed to be heading in different directions. The Ring has learned that previous plans called for Morrell to headline PBC’s Prime show – outside of PPV – in November or December. These plans were scrapped when the PBC lineup was shuffled and more suitable matchups came to delicate.

There are few fights on the schedule as compelling as this one that don’t have one or more major titles at stake.

Benavidez was already sure that next weekend he would become the winner of the undisputed title of Artur Beterbiev-Dmitrii Bivol RING delicate heavyweight champion. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed that Benavidez will be the next mandatory challenger in waiting.

Morrell’s version of the WBA title would theoretically put him in line as well. However, this would require appropriate action by the sanctioning authority.

It’s a moot point for now, as they both look to each other for another payday, and both firmly believe that the reward justifies the enormous risk.

Author: Sean Crose

“There were a lot of names on the table,” David Benavidez said on social media on Tuesday, “but I wanted to give my fans the best fight possible. I contacted David Morrell and his team to make this happen and we signed the contract. This fight is going to be a real banger!!!! 2 best in the division and 2 titles on the LFG line!!!!! The date and place will be announced soon.” This will undoubtedly be an engaging fight if it turns out to be real as it will pit two of the greatest hitters in the sport against each other.

While it goes without saying that fans would still like to see Benavidez fight boxing’s biggest star in Canelo Alvarez, it just won’t happen any time soon, if ever. It’s to Benavidez’s credit that he moved on without bitterness. He has his own career to think about and it’s obvious he has no interest in spending it in Canelo’s shadow. Moreover, if this fight becomes a reality, it will be highly anticipated by fans of the sport. And the best way to become a great Canelo is to win fight after fight against tough as nails competition – and Benavidez is doing just that if he is to meet Morrell in the ring.

At 26 years ancient, the 11-0 Morrell may not have much of a record, but over the course of his five-year career (on the way to Cuba), the Minnesotan stopped all but two of his opponents in the distance. The fighter’s last fight was in August, when he defeated Radivoje Kalajdzic by unanimous decision on the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card. “I want everyone to see that I am the best,” he is quoted as saying on the website. If so, he’s well on his way to proving it against the fearsome Benavidez.

Of course, Benavidez himself needs no introduction to fight fans. After all, Canelo doesn’t think everyone should be avoided. And while it may be ridiculous to accuse Canelo of avoiding anyone (look through the man’s resume for evidence of his willingness to fight a perilous opponent), the point is clear – the 29-0 Benavidez is a force to be reckoned with. He’s fought tough guys, shrewd guys, and just about everyone in between, and he’s never lost. He also finished off all but five of his opponents at the distance.

In miniature, both fighters are downright perilous.