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.
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.
Eddy Reynoso may have said more than he intended when discussing Canelo Alvarez’s next move, as his comments pointed less to Christian Mbilli and more to the winner of next week’s Jaime Munguia-Armando Resendiz fight
Canelo is expected to return to Riyadh for the season in September after recovering from surgery on his left elbow. Reynoso told Ring magazine that the plan remains super middleweight and named several possible opponents, including Mbilli. However, the strongest language in the interview was the conversation about the May 2 fight between Munguia and Resendiz for the WBA title.
“This time it’s Munguia against Resendiz in a pan-Mexico fight on a pan-Mexico card,” Reynoso told Ring Magazine, discussing Cinco de Mayo weekend. “This is going to be an amazing fight and we are prepared to win. This fight is going to be so good that it will steal the show. They have the ingredients to distract from the main event.”
This was unique because Reynoso trains Munguia and has a direct stake in the outcome, but it also sounded like early preparation for what comes next. If Munguia wins, a rematch with Canelo will be an straightforward sell to the Mexican crowd and an straightforward one to build to. If Resendiz wins, he will arrive with the belt and fresh momentum.
After his recent victory over Lester Martinez, Reynoso mentioned Mbilli as a “massive challenge,” but the tone was different. This sounded like one option on the list as the Munguia-Resendiz fight gained full popularity.
Canelo’s team has also ruled out other routes. Reynoso said the David Benavidez fight is now over and suggested there is little chance of seeing it again. Staying at 168 pounds also reduces the likelihood of a rematch with Dmitry Bivol.
This leaves less room than it initially seemed. When camps start praising one fight with such a hard month ahead of time, it’s usually worth paying attention to.
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