Jose Benavidez Sr. has delivered a harsh assessment of Jai Opetaia, comparing him with David Morrell, while discussing a potential showdown with David Benavidez.<\/p>\n
Following David Benavidez\u2019s dominant cruiserweight title victory over Gilberto Ramirez, speculation has continued growing regarding possible future fights against elite names such as Opetaia<\/a>, Dmitry Bivol, Canelo Alvarez, and Oleksandr Usyk<\/a>.<\/p>\n However, Benavidez Sr. stated that he does not view Opetaia as a serious threat to his son.<\/p>\n Benavidez Sr. says Opetaia is not better than Morrell<\/p>\n A few days ago, Shakur Stevenson claimed that David Morrell is a better fighter than Jai Opetaia, based on their r\u00e9sum\u00e9s and overall ability. Benavidez Sr. was asked for his opinion on the debate.<\/p>\n Speaking to Mill City Boxing, Benavidez Sr. immediately dismissed suggestions that Opetaia is a superior fighter to David Morrell.<\/p>\n \u201cHell no, I don\u2019t think he\u2019s better than David Morrell, not at all,\u201d Benavidez Sr. said.<\/p>\n While acknowledging Opetaia\u2019s overall ability, the veteran trainer then launched into a detailed criticism of the Australian champion\u2019s style and skill set.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t get me wrong. I think Jai Opetaia is a good fighter,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Benavidez Sr. questions Opetaia\u2019s defense and chin<\/p>\n Benavidez Sr. specifically pointed toward what he believes are major flaws in Opetaia\u2019s game.<\/p>\n \u201cHe doesn\u2019t have a chin,\u201d he claimed.<\/p>\n According to him, Opetaia regularly shows vulnerability during fights despite continuing to win.<\/p>\n \u201cIn all his fights, he gets hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n The outspoken trainer also criticized several technical aspects of the Australian\u2019s boxing ability.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think he has a good jab. I don\u2019t think he has good defense. I don\u2019t think he has good body shot. I don\u2019t think he has a good uppercut.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite those criticisms, Benavidez Sr. still acknowledged Opetaia\u2019s success inside the ring.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s just a good fighter.\u201d<\/p>\n Benavidez Sr. predicts early knockout for David Benavidez against Opetaia\u00a0<\/p>\n Benavidez Sr. ultimately predicted that his son would overwhelm Opetaia quickly if the two ever met.<\/p>\n \u201cI see with Jai Opetaia, David will probably stop him in one or two rounds,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The comments add further intrigue to a potential matchup that has recently gained traction following Benavidez\u2019s move up in weight and capturing the WBO and WBA cruiserweight titles.\u00a0Opetaia remains one of the most dangerous names in the cruiserweight division. <\/p>\n