DAVID Benavidez and David Morrell will fight in the delicate heavyweight division on February 1 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Given their approach to the hurt game, the main event is shaping up to be an absolute storm that is sure to catch on fire and become a classic.

PBC’s promotional materials sum it up perfectly: “WBC Interim Lithe Heavyweight Champion David “El Monstro” Benavídez and WBA Lithe Heavyweight Champion David Morrell Jr. will meet in a battle of the undefeated, pitting two of the most invigorating fighters in the sport against each other in the primes of their careers.”

While they both hold dazzling belts in a division that has a clear number one and number two (or 1.5 in Bivol’s case), these two are fighting for the third spot and a chance to fight Beterbiev or the winner of an undisputed rematch, should it happen. Next.

Given his scintillating performances at super middleweight, Morrell has become Mr. Excitement, but he looked a bit tired in his last outing, defeating Radivoje Kalajdzic on points in his 175-pound debut. To his credit, “Balmy Rod” is a solid, world-class opponent, and Morrell boxed most of the competition with the Los Angeles sun in his eyes.

Meanwhile, Benavidez has already defeated Plant, Andrade and Gvozdyk. If he now scalps Morrell and still fails to negotiate a fight with Canelo, he will begin to wonder what exactly he needs to do to win boxing’s biggest prize. Benavidez is the more experienced of the two and if Morrell comes out with all his guns early, the Cuban’s situation could become precarious in the future.

The entire card will stream on Prime Video pay-per-view and includes a solid entry card. Currently campaigning as the full WBC featherweight champion, Brandon Figueroa will look to make up for his loss to Stephen Fulton when he faces a high-stakes rematch.

Isaac Cruz will want to make up for the loss after his defeat against Jose Valenzuela by fighting the twice-defeated Mexican boxer Angel Fierro. Jesus Ramos continues to rebuild from his shocking loss to Erickson Lubin by fighting former unification champion Jeison Rosario, who was last seen boxing Jarrett Hurd to a draw on Pro Box TV.

BEFORE and AFTER the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson farce, there was plenty of exhilarating action to please boxing fans and remind us all what a great sport it is.

Given what’s going on in Texas, it should be simple to separate Netflix’s main event from the efforts of Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano, Gilberto Ramirez, Chris Billam-Smith and the supporting cast.

While some will feel the loss of failure, they have actually increased their credibility and reputation. But who will they and the winners fight next? analyzes potential options.

Katie Taylor

The rematch wasn’t as good as the first fight, but the bar had been set so high that it couldn’t be matched. However, Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano have given us another fight of the year contender, and their contrasting styles come together once again.

Taylor nodded, but just like the first time, her opponent had a mighty case for awarding points. The two produced 20 rounds of drama that will go down in boxing and sports history, but will we see round 21?

It appears a trilogy is being considered for Taylor, but there is also unfinished business with Chantelle Cameron. With the score tied at 1-1, common sense would have taken us to the third and final fight. Taylor remains the undisputed super lightweight champion, which means her undisputed lightweight crown will likely be stripped from her, freeing up the belts for others.

Taylor will celebrate her 39th birthday next July, and her 26th fight could be her last. Taking into account the results alone, the third part of the match against Cameron makes the most sense. However, there could also be a chance she moves up to welterweight if another of her former rivals, Natasha Jonas, becomes unified champion next month. Winning world titles in a third weight category will certainly attract interest from the Irish sensation.

Recent unified cruiserweight champion “Zurdo” Ramirez. (Golden Boy Promo/Cris Esqueda)

Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez

The Mexican had fought 47 times as of last night, but each performance didn’t tell us much about “Zurdo” Ramirez. However, in the fight against Chris Billam-Smith, Ramirez became not only the unified cruiserweight champion, but also one of the best fighters in the world.

Billam-Smith forced Ramirez to fight fire and pull out the full repertoire of shots needed to fend off the tough Briton. It was not only a performance and victory to be proud of, but also worth remembering.

Not since Oleksandr Usyk is a cruiserweight and has the undisputed champion, but Ramirez is already halfway there. Jai Opetaia (IBF champion) and Noel Mikaelian (WBC) will stand in his way. Riyadh Season and Turki Alalshikh have already done business with Opetaia, and Alalshikh wants to see one champion at 200 pounds. Opetaia vs. Ramirez is a fantastic fight that can be discussed for hours. Time will tell, however, whether Ramirez will receive a mandatory call-up or whether the road to the fight with Opetaia will be one of the most anticipated fights of 2025.

Billam-Smith left it all in the ring against Ramirez. (Golden Boy Promo/Cris Esqueda)

“The Gentleman” will take a well-deserved rest after the defeat against Ramirez. His courage, chin and determination allowed him to survive 12 complex rounds against an opponent who had much more in his arsenal.

Billam-Smith was not completely outdone and had successful moments early in the fight and during the second wind in the final third. His 18-month reign as the WBO cruiserweight champion may be over, however, but he should keep his head held high.

The 34-year-old has gotten out of boxing a lot more than he expected when he turned professional a few years ago. He rarely won a fight easily, and thanks to this and good competition, more miles than usual were added to the 22-fight tally. We may be nearing the end of another good boxing story, but it would be a surprise if he wanted to retire after a defeat.

One more night in Bournemouth, headlining the BIC (Bournemouth International Centre) in front of their own fans and a sold out house, could have been the perfect swan song. Sergey Kovalev and Jean Pascal may be far from their best, but they bring reputational value and are the perfect opportunity for CBS to show off in style.

His dream of fighting in America may come true when he fights Joe Smith Jr. It may not be Vegas and it may not even be the main event, but it will definitely be next on the bucket list. However, if Billam-Smith is to continue to seek a shot at a second world title, he may have to wait a while, with time really not on his side.

Over the past few years, Jai Opetaia has proven to be one of the best fighters in the world and the de facto king of the cruiserweight division. Since Oleksandr Usyk’s departure, the fight for the scattered world titles left behind has continued. Although Opetaia only won the IBF title twice during this time, defeating another of the top cruiserweights of the time, Mairis Briedis, his devastating power and precise skills placed him at the top of his division.

After successfully defending his IBF title against Jack Massey on October 12, the question remains: what’s next for this emerging phenomenon and what paths lie ahead for him to explore?

Union

Opetai’s clearest option, and the one he has identified as his current priority, is to clear the cruiserweight division and become undisputed champion.

Opetaia would need to fight at least three more fights at his current weight to solidify his position as the best cruiserweight in the world. Since defeating Massey, the IBF has insisted that Opetaia defend against his mandatory challenger, Huseyin Cinkara, or he will be stripped of his title again for the same punishment for choosing to fight Ellis Zorro in Saudi Arabia last year.

So he will have to be patient to unify the division as he fights the IBF.

“I am simply seeking to unify the lanes,” Opetaia explained. “That’s why I really chase the fights for progress.”

November 16th, Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez and Chris Billam-Smith will fight for the WBO and WBA cruiserweight titles in a unification fight. This fight seems like the perfect next step for the Australian as he will be able to defend his mandatory and then face the winner of Ramirez vs. Billam-Smith and become the unified champion, leaving only one belt up for grabs.

In an ideal world, Opetaia could become the undisputed cruiserweight champion by the end of next year if promoters can get their schedules together and fighters stay vigorous. The final obstacle in this path will be WBC champion Norair Mikaelian, who has been inactive for over a year after winning the green and gold belt.

It’s challenging to find any reason to believe that Opetaia isn’t comfortably beating other champions in the division at a time when the talent pool at cruiserweight is a bit smaller. I expected Opetaia to take her first steps towards greatness.

Heavyweight

Let’s look to the future, perhaps to the Australian moving up to heavyweight. He was asked this question more and more often as he easily defeated cruiserweight opponents.

At six feet two inches, if Opetaia decided to take the risk and move up to heavyweight, he would be a tad undersized in the current heavyweight era. He also stated that he easily exceeds the cruiser weight limit, which calls into question whether he would be able to gain enough weight to compete and compensate for his missing height.

This is not about limiting a player solely based on size, as this has been proven time and time again to be a false assumption. Just look at the likes of David Haye and Oleksandr Usyk in the current era of heavyweights. Both fighters are only an inch taller than Opetai, and both won heavyweight gold after moving up from Cruiserweight.

Opetaia had previously appeared in the ring with heavyweight fighters, he was best known for being called up to Tyson Fury’s training camp after the fight with Oleksandr Usyk.

Rumors swirled when Opetaia was sent home very quickly after her first sparring session. Some speculated that it was because Opetaia abandoned Fury, and others claimed that Fury wanted more orthodox sparring. However you read it, Opetaia certainly seems to have what it takes to compete with much larger opponents.

This does not appear to be a pressing matter for the 29-year-old as he is focused on the challenges facing his current division.

“I definitely see myself heading in that direction,” Opetaia revealed. “But like I said, without winning these fights, it’s just talk.”

He also said, “once I get up, I don’t want to gain the weight back.”

This probably tells us that this will be a move that he will make later in his career and that he doesn’t feel pressured to gain weight for now.

Moving up to heavyweight is a very real option for a man of Opetaia’s skill and strength and will remain an open option for him for the rest of his career, so there is no need to rush out of the cruiserweight division when there is still work to be done for Do.

Artur Beterbiew

An fascinating proposition to fight the IBF cruiserweight champion could be the newly crowned undisputed featherlight heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev. While this fight requires a bit more imagination than the other options presented, Beterbiev has expressed interest in moving up to cruiserweight.

Speaking ahead of his unification fight with Dmitry Bivol, he said: “We’ll see later. Challenges can fall into different categories. Enter [in weight]. I don’t focus on those things.”

The biggest fight on offer for him would be against Opetaia, and the Australian has also expressed interest in that fight.

In a conversation with Beterbiev he said: “Yes, for sure. He is a great champion and I am always ready to test myself to be great.”

Even though it seemed a bit out of the question, this fight would be an electrifying prospect and would be great for both fighters’ careers. Unfortunately, Beterbiev’s advanced age as a boxer must come into the discussion as he will have to fight Dmitry Bivol again, and Opetaia will be looking to reunite before looking at prize fights, so it’s doubtful the timing will ever be right for both sides .

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – OCTOBER 12: Artur Beterbiev punches Dmitrii Bivol during the IBF, IBO, WBC and WBO World Delicate Heavyweight title fight between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitrii Bivol as part of the Riyad Season – Card IV Crown Showdown at Kingdom Arena on October 12 2024 in Riyad. (Photo: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

Aleksander Usyk

The fight that certainly makes sense and now seems more real than ever is that Opetaia will fight current unified heavyweight champion and former undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and attempt to go down in the history books among the best fighters at the weight cruiser of all time.

A fight between these two would be monumental for boxing, and even more so for the cruiserweight division, which may have never seen a fight on this potential scale.

Opetaia has been an admirer of Usyk throughout his career and feels like he has been waiting in the wings for this opportunity to prove himself.

“I would love to fight Usyk one day,” Opetaia told Sky Sports ahead of his fight with Jack Massey. “This is a fight I will definitely strive for. I have been close to Usyk for a long time. We were both at the same Olympics.

“I was always close. I was always in the shadow. I feel like my chance to play against him is getting closer.

Many expected that now, at the age of 37, the Ukrainian would retire from the heavyweight division, but Usyk made a surprising announcement earlier this year, shortly after his first fight against Tyson Fury.

“I think maybe after the rematch I will go down to cruiserweight, I want more [fights at] cruiser,” Usyk told the “3 Knockdown Rule” podcast in June.

“Maybe I’ll be undisputed in the cruiserweight division for a second time, that’s my plan. When I start preparing for the training camp [as a heavyweight]I have to eat constantly. It’s challenging for me, I don’t like it.”

If Usyk does indeed make this remarkable weight loss, one would expect that the ideal opponent for him to see if he can once again become the undisputed cruiserweight champion would be Jai Opetaia.

Perhaps Opetaia will be the undisputed champion before the fight is even possible. Regardless of how this plays out, there is no denying that this would be a huge opportunity for Opetai and a fight that would be challenging to write him out of.

Oleksandr Usyk punches Tyson Fury with his left hand during their heavyweight fight at the Kingdom Arena on May 18, 2024 in Riyad, Saudi Arabia (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)