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David Morrell’s mental game needs development after winning WBA title

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Image: David Morrell's Mental Game Needs Development After Winning WBA Title

Cuban David Morrell won the WBA 175-pound world title by defeating Serb Radivoje Kalajdzic last Saturday, August 3, winning by unanimous decision in the twelve rounds at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. The scores were 117-111, 117-111, 118-110.

The fight was the 26-year-old Morrell’s debut at 175, after David Benavidez moved up from 168. There were high expectations for the Cuban Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs) heading into last Saturday’s fight with Kalajdzic (29-3, 21 KOs). Physically, Morrell looked good, but his performance wasn’t as dominant when he fought at 168.

Mental obstacle

Despite his youth and strength advantage, Morrell didn’t show the aggression we’ve come to expect in the Super Middleweight fight. We had hoped that Morrell would have less trouble adjusting to the weight class. However, indifference took over the fight as Morrell refused to take any risks, opting to keep his distance and land very few punches.

Morrell had a chance to shine at the large event of the season in Riyadh and show boxing fans that he could do great things at 175 pounds, but he didn’t even try. His cornerman, Ronnie Shields, tried to encourage him to fight more aggressively, but in vain. Morrell was content to win comfortably round after round.

During the few rounds where Morrell was motivated to throw punches and be more aggressive, we felt he could have won the fight more decisively. Unfortunately, it happened very rarely and for very brief moments. Then Morrell would leave or decide not to come out to look for Kalajdzic, and the minutes would pass and the fight would come even though he hadn’t finished his opponent.

Building a Champion’s Mentality

If Morrell doesn’t understand that fans come to these events to see great fights, someone needs to talk to him and make him understand how critical it is to earn the respect of the audience by giving your all in every fight. The empathy of the average fan is very critical in building stars. The die-hard fan knows a little more and sees the fights through different eyes than the average boxing audience.

Giving Morrell the benefit of the doubt, we want to believe that the weight change may have affected his results. Maybe he needs to gradually adjust to the 175-pound weight class. There are bigger and stronger guys in that division. Maybe that was the difference, but he needs to try to adjust and do it soon.

The interest in watching great fights is built on performances that convince fans. When you win, giving it your all, you raise the adrenaline level of the viewers watching the telecasts and those attending the events with electrifying fights and overwhelming victories. Half the job is done.

You are only as good as your last fight. Most fans are just people with brief memories. Their lack of knowledge about weight classes is reflected in their desire to see two men jump into the ring with the desire to beat each other and end the fight with a spectacular knockout. That is what they are looking for and that is what you have to give them or you will be punished and reprimanded.

We want to believe that Morrell is better in this weight class than David Benavidez was in his 175-pound debut last June against Oleksandr Gvozdyk.

Unfortunately, Morrell’s skills came to the fore in the fleeting moments of his fight with the 33-year-old Kalajdzic, a fighter who was crushed in five rounds by IBF lithe heavyweight champion Artur Beterbijev in May 2019.

Morrell needs to believe in himself if he wants to progress in the lithe heavyweight division. While Morrell’s skills are admirable, if he is not motivated to exploit them and perform to the best of his ability, his chances of achieving large wins in the weight class are slim.

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Boxing

LIVE: Usyk vs Fury 2 match results from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

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Usyk vs Fury 2 Live Results

World Boxing News brings you live results from the Usyk vs Fury 2 event with the unified heavyweight title at stake in Saudi Arabia.

Oleksandr Usyk defends his WBC, WBO and WBA belts as the Ukrainian fights for back-to-back wins over Tyson Fury. Fury was almost knocked out by Usyk in May and will seek revenge at the Kingdom Arena.

WBN will also score the main event based on a live scorecard from the first to the last bell.

Live scores of the Usyk-Fury match

Andriy Nowicki defeated Edgar Ramirez by unanimous decision. The score was 100-90 and 98-92 twice, and the Ukrainian moved to 14-0, 10 KOs.

Joshua Ocampo lost in the preliminary fight Muhammad Alakel who scored a unanimous decision to enhance it to 2-0.

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MAIN EVENT: WBC WORLD, WBO WORLD, WBA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE – 12 ROUNDS
Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury
Shypyntsi, Ukraine Lancashire, UK
22-0 (14 KOs) 34-1-1 (24 KOs)
226 lbs 281 lbs

CO-MAIN EVENT: HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHT (over 201 pounds) – 10 ROUNDS
Moses Itauma vs. Demsey McKean
Kent, UK, Queensland, Australia
22-0 (10 KOs) 22-1 (14 KOs)
249.1 lbs 251.1 lbs

Airy middleweight fight (154 pounds) – 12 rounds
Serhii Bohachuk vs. Ishmael Davis
Vinnytsia, Ukraine, Yorkshire, UK
24-2 (23 KOs) 13-1 (6 KOs)
153.1 lbs 153.6 lbs

Heavyweight fight (201+ pounds) – 10 rounds
Johnny Fisher vs. David Allen
London, UK Yorkshire, UK
12-0 (11 KOs) 23-6, 18 KOs
241.1 lbs 257.6 lbs

INTERNATIONAL SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT COMPETITION – 10 ROUNDS
Peter McGrail vs. Rhys Edwards
10-1 (6 KOs) / 16-0 (4 KOs)
Liverpool, UK / Merseyside, UK
129.8 lbs / 129.1 lbs

Fight for the WBA CONTINENTAL USA featherweight title (130 pounds) – 10 ROUNDS
Isaac Lowe vs. Lee McGregor
Lancashire, UK Edinburgh, Scotland
25-2-3 (8 KOs) 14-1-1 (11 KOs)
125.1 lbs 125.9 lbs

WBA CONTINENTAL HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIPS – 10 ROUNDS
Dylan Colin Vs. Daniel Łapina
Meurthe-et-Moselle, France / Wrocław, Poland
14-0 (4 KOs) / 10-0 (4 KOs)

Information about the Usyk vs Fury match on TV and PPV

Oleksandr Usyk’s rematch with Tyson Fury and the full undercard are available exclusively at DAZN Pay-Per-View (PPV) events worldwide. They cost £24.99 in the UK and $39.95 in the US and no DAZN subscription is required.

The PPV also includes a seven-day free trial of the entire DAZN platform. Usyk vs. Fury and all DAZN content can be watched anywhere, on any device via the DAZN app.

For more information and to purchase the fight, visit www.dazn.com.

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Tyson Fury vows: “I’m going to destroy this motherfucker!”

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Usyk vs Fury 2

Tyson Fury isn’t holding back on his desire for revenge against Oleksandr Usyk as the pair collided on Saturday night.

Fury aims to win the unified heavyweight title for the first time in nine years when he faces current champion Usyk six months after his first loss to the Ukrainian.

As the pair completed media formalities for the superfight, Fury made it clear how the fight would end.

“For the record, I’m going to absolutely annihilate this motherfucker on Saturday night. No pension. I will neat them all and he will be the first,” Fury assured.

Asked if he would try to do to Usyk what he did to Deontay Wilder in the rematch, Fury replied: “It was a long time ago” in reference to the 2020 knockout.

“[I’m] I’m not sure [if that Tyson Fury is there anymore]. Perhaps it has evaporated. Who knows? The legs may disappear. China may no longer exist. Boxing skills can be shot. We’ll find out on the 21st. That’s why you need to tune in to the pay-per-view on DAZN. Come and see whether the venerable dance master still understands it or not.

Referring to the training camp in Malta, Fury added: “[The] The weather is different, of course, but training is training, no matter where you are. These are very mundane, routine things. This happens again and again.

“For me, it doesn’t really matter where the camp is. I’ve attended camps in Vegas, Spain, everywhere, and I’m one of those people who doesn’t get distracted and gets the job done anyway. That’s what I do.

“If I were to train in a nightclub, I wouldn’t dance around the disco in the evening. I would just train.

Information about the Usyk vs Fury match

Former interim WBC 154-pound titleholder Serhii Bohachuk [24-2, 23 KOs] Now he will face British boxer Ishmael Davis [13-1, 6 KOs] in a 12-round super welterweight fight after Israil Madrimov was forced to withdraw due to illness.

Rising heavyweight star Moses Itauma [22-0, 10 KOs] and his opponent, Australian Demsey McKean (22-1, 14 KO), are ready to fight. Undefeated Johnny Fisher [12-0, 11 KOs[ squares off against former Commonwealth title challenger Dave Allen [23-6, 18 KOs].

Meanwhile, former Commonwealth Games gold medalist Peter McGrail [10-1, 6 KOs] takes over from Rhys Edwards at the last minute [16-0, 4 KOs] in a super featherweight fight. Isaac Lowe is also on the bill [25-2-3, 8 KOs[ will face Lee McGregor [14-1-1, 11 KOs] in a featherweight fight.

Daniel Lapin completes the card [10-0, 4 KOs]in which he will face another undefeated lightweight champion prospect, Dylan Colin [14-0, 4 KOs]and heavyweight knockout artist Andrii Novytskyi [14-0, 10 KOs] will face Edgar Ramirez [10-1-1, 4 KOs].

As is the tradition of the season, Riyad will feature local talent as Mohammed Alakel looks for a 2-0 win over Joshua Ocampo [8-33-5, 6 KOs].

Broadcast of the Usyk vs Fury match this Saturday on DAZN PPV.

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Brooklyn heavyweight Pryce Taylor is looking forward to 2025

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Heavyweight Pryce Taylor

Fighting for the first time with the full support of his promoter, Salita Promotions, undefeated Brooklyn heavyweight Pryce Taylor later said he was confident and confident he could do well in boxing.

Taylor (5-0, 3 KO), 28, defeated KeShawn Jackson last Thursday night in Flint, Michigan, fighting in an exhibition put on by his promoter in which he recorded an impressive third-round stoppage to finish his 2024 campaign on a high. year note.

“It was good to fight on a bigger stage, in a compact arena, in a nice atmosphere,” Taylor said about his first fight with a promotional contract. “My manager, Keith Sullivan, supported me by agreeing to sign with Salita Promotions. He talked to several promoters, but we felt that Dimitri Salita would be the right candidate for me.

“I felt like I had succeeded; I felt essential, but that was just the beginning. It was the same on fight night, I felt respect and appreciation from the entire Salita promotional company. My goal is to be a more recognizable player and be recognized by the fans. I’m hungry to perform in the coming year.”

“Four knockdowns were counted. I really hurt him with a body shot and when he felt my power he was done. I threw a barrage of punches into the corner (ss photo below) and he tried to hit me with a windmill punch. Then I hit him with a check hook, which ended the fight. He (Jackson) didn’t want to get knocked out, so he tried to show he was still fighting.”

“Of course,” Sullivan commented, “I’m joyful with the victory. This was another developmental fight and Pryce is learning and developing as a fighter. We had a busy year with 8 fights scheduled and 5 that actually crossed the line, so it was a very good first year for him as a pro. Right after that, I talked to Dimitri to arrange the next fight. We hope to have it scheduled in the coming weeks.”

Looking ahead to 2025, Taylor wants his next fight to be a six-rounder scheduled for his next outing, then move up to eight to fight for the junior title.

“I will now train to play 10 rounds,” Taylor concluded, “so that I will be ready when it comes time to play 12 rounds.”

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