Aidos Yerbossynuly isn’t intimidated by the background of David Morrell, his rival on Saturday in Minneapolis (Showtime).
Morrell had learned the pinnacle of Cuba’s amateur system, which was respected by all. That background is the main reason he fights at the highest level of the sport even though he has only seven professional matches.
Yerbossynuly, a Kazakh living in Las Vegas, suggests that we shouldn’t be left out when it comes to his super-middleweight contender.
“We respect the Cubans and their skills,” said Yerbossynuly, who joined the fight when Yoelvis Gomez withdrew due to injury. “But in the pro class, there aren’t as many good fighters as there are in the amateurs.
“Whatever he’s learned, I have those skills too. We both have power in both hands, and I’ll let my fists speak for me. … Nothing about David Morrell Jr. preoccupies me.
“The danger with boxing is that every boxer will come to hurt you. All martial artists are dangerous. There is nothing special about him. I think we’re evenly matched fighters but the difference on Saturday night will be that I’m a smarter fighter and I want that more. “
Morrell’s reaction to that?
Well, Yerbossynuly’s comments seem to have ignited Morrell’s patriotic flames even though he defected from Cuba and was stationed in the town where Saturday’s fight was held. He was so motivated that he predicted a knockout in the round of 16.
“One hundred percent I’m going to the knockout,” he said. “He is the one who is asking for it. It will be for my team and for Cuban boxing. You don’t mess with the Cuban people. …
“I feel bad for Aidos. He didn’t know what was going on and he didn’t know anything about boxing history either. I will teach it on the night of the battle. I’m taking it to school. He has it coming. “
The fact that Yerbossynuly (16-0, 11 KOs) even received a fighting chance in a Showtime main event was a career milestone. If he can handle the sadness, he will be in the top position to fight for a world title.
Of course, he expected nothing more than a win over the WBA’s second title winner. He then hopes to take on 168-pound top contender David Benavidez and ultimately undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez.
He scoffed at the knockout prediction. He suggested that maybe Morrell (7-0.6 KO) was the last to be stopped.
“If he promises something to the fans, he may have to apologize to them after the loss,” Yerbossynuly said. “I definitely came to stop Morrell in this fight. I’ve been training hard and I’m here to get the belt.
“If I get past David Morrell Jr on Saturday, then I want to play David Benavidez next. I’ve fought Canelo Alvarez before and I respect him. To get that fight, I had to prove myself first. That’s why I want to go head-to-head with Morrell and Benavidez.”
Morrell also wants Benavidez in his ninth fight. However, despite his prognosis, he insists his focus is on Yerbossynuly.
“I’m so happy for my second chance to fight on Showtime,” he said. “I hope he’s not too hungry, because I won’t feed him anything on Saturday night. I’m more focused and more focused than ever thanks to [trainer] Ronnie Shields and my entire team.
“I appreciate Aidos entering this fight, but now is the time to show what I can do. I will show the rest of the department what is available to them.“
