"He gets to pick and choose" - David Morrell on fighting Canelo Alvarez
Canelo Alvarez is still the undisputed king at 168 lbs. He conquered the division by beating three unbeaten champions and a mandatory challenger in 2020-21. The 31-year-old will return to the division in September this year and take on Gennadiy Golovkin after falling short against Dmitry Bivol at 175 lbs.
That means the super-middleweights can once again target a shot at ‘Cinnamon’. However, David Morrell doesn’t fall on that list.
Watch Canelo vs Bivol highlights below:
The unbeaten Cuban boxer is just six fights old in the pro-circuit and has his eyes on David Benavidez. He understands that Canelo Alvarez is still beyond his reach. In a chat with the boxing scene, he said:
“Canelo’s a free agent, so he can do whatever he wants with his fights. He gets to pick and choose, and that’s very well within his rights. So, I don’t think that me having a title or not having one is gonna make a difference, really, because Canelo gets to choose.”
He added:
“Whether I’m on his radar or not, that’s up to him. I don’t believe that I represent any kind of objective [for Alvarez] or I’m on Canelo’s radar right now..”
Meanwhile, Morrell is already a world champion, set to defend his WBA 168 lbs strap against Kalvin Henderson this weekend. Boasting five KOs in a 6-0 resume, Morrell looks likely to come out victorious on Saturday (June 4) night in his current hometown of Minneapolis. Upon earning a potential win, he can aim for any of the Super Middleweight champions.
That shall be a step closer to a possible future clash against Saul Alvarez. Until then, Morrell should continue his win streak, while the Mexican continues to face the world champions.
Canelo Alvarez needs a bold resurrection
The loss against Dmitry Bivol has garnered sheer criticism over the Mexican superstar. Many are now doubting Canelo Alvarez’s chances against Gennadiy Golovkin, especially after GGG’s KO win over Ryota Murata.
Golovkin is considered one of the toughest opponents of Alvarez's career. The first fight between the two ended in a controversial draw, while the Mexican won the rematch on the judges’ score card.
The trilogy fight could now be one of the grandest matchups in the history of the sport. While a young champion like David Morrell validates Alvarez as a top-tier champion, he shall live up to that status in the fight against Golovkin.