David Benavidez vs David Morrell Jr reportedly agreed for October/November

While Canelo busies himself chasing middleweights and cruiserweights, his two most appealing super middleweight challengers are on a collision course. Sampson Lewkowicz, promoter of WBC interim champion David Benavidez, tells Dan Rafael that “El Bandera Roja” and WBA “world” champion David Morrell Jr “have reached a deal in principle” to meet atop a Showtime pay-per-view in either October or November.

In terms of pure entertainment value, this matchup is hard to beat, pitting Benavidez’s (27-0, 23 KO) inexhaustible pressure and thudding power against Morrell’s (9-0, 8 KO) blend of top-tier athleticism and spiteful punching. Benavidez last saw action in March, scoring the best win of his career by battering Caleb Plant down the stretch, while Morrell needed less than a round to torch late replacement Yamaguchi Falcao in April.

If this gets over the finish line, both men deserve all the credit in the world; they watched the sanctioning bodies give Canelo free rein to shirk his responsibilities as undisputed champion and are taking it upon themselves to keep the division moving. Benavidez has lost two belts to unforced errors, and there’s no better way to make up for than proving himself against one of the scariest men in the division.