Morrell Wants Beterbiev-Bivol Winner After Kalajdzic Clash Saturday

David Morrell plans to beat Radivoje “Hot Rod” Kalajdzic on Saturday night, August 3, and then face the winner of the October 12 undisputed 175-lb title fight between champion Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.

(Source: Melina Pizano/Game Room)

The undefeated Morrell will fight for the WBA World light heavyweight title against “Hot Rod” Kalajdzic (29-2, 21 KOs) at the Honorable Turki Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season event at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. The event will be shown live on DAZN PPV.

Morrell (10-0, 9 KOs) will be crossing the line at light heavyweight, stepping in front of WBC mandatory David Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs), who has dibs on being the next winner of Beterbiev- Bivol. Turki will decide who wins that fight, but Morrell could help his chances if he destroys Kalajdzic on Saturday.

Kalajdzic, 33, has excellent strength and is a fierce fighter who likes to go to war with his opponents. He will go to Morrell on Saturday, looking to match him as he did against Artur Beterbiev in 2019. He was destroyed in five one-sided rounds by Beterbiev, who had too much power and skill for him. .

“It’s a big divide. He has two champions yet to unify, so there will be one champion in October,” said coach Ronnie Shields speaking to MillCity Boxing, referring to David Morrell’s move up to 175 on Saturday night against Kalajdzic.

Shields is Morrell’s trainer, and wants him to get a shot at the title as soon as possible against the winner of the Beterbiev-Bivol contest.

Morrell was waiting for the opportunity to fight Canelo Alvarez, David Benavidez, and Jaime Munguia at 168 but never got the chance. He does not want the same thing to happen to 175 who lost his reputation because he was being shunned.

Shields’ Reliance on Morrell’s Potential

“I think he is one of the best. “He’s young, he’s talented, and this kid has what it takes to be a world champion,” Shields said of Morrell. “The important thing is to keep him focused, to use the opportunity when he comes, to be a world champion.”

If Morrell can’t get a fight with Beterbiev or Bivol, he says he would like to fight former WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez. However, Morrell may have to face former WBC light heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk, who is said to be his potential opponent.

“He goes with the big guys, and he’s faster than them because he moves up,” Shields said of Morrell. “As long as he maintains his speed and strength, he should be great. The ‘Hot Rod’ has been around for a long time. He has many battles and he has a lot of experience. We must use every little thing. “

Kalajdzic is a 13-year-old fighter and has won his last five fights since being knocked out by Artur Beterbiev in 2019. He exited the tenth round of 42-year-old Sullivan Barrera last March. That fight is the most famous name Kalajdzic has fought for the past four years. Another guy Kalajdzic beat Denis Grachev.

Morrell’s Willingness to Face the Elites

“I would like Morrell to fight the winner of the undefeated fight between Beterbiev and Bivol. “I think that’s the goal of fighting the best, and these two are the best,” Shields said.

If Beterbiev and Bivol don’t opt ​​for an immediate rematch, it would be nice to see Morrell fight the winner of that fight. If the Beterbiev-Bivol fight is close, it is a given that they will fight again soon. Morrell will have to look the other way around Gvozdyk or Benavidez.

Other attractive options in the Morrell 175:

– Anthony Yarde
– Willy Hutchinson
– Joshua Buatsi
– Albert Ramirez
– Dan Azeez
– Callum Smith

“So that’s where we have to go,” Shields said of wanting his boxer, David Morrell, to win the Oct. 12 light heavyweight title between champions Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.

“Without a doubt. All this child [Morrell] he talks about wanting to fight the best in the world. You want to be there. He wants people to talk about him, trying to fight him,” said Shields.

It doesn’t help Morrell to wait too long before fighting the top guys, Beterbiev and Bivol, because they are old and won’t be around much longer. With those guys retiring soon, the 175-lb division will have a few compelling options for Morrell.