Volume Is the Problem Morrell Hasn\u2019t Solved<\/p>\n
Smith has a good blueprint for attacking Morrell, based on his performance against David Benavidez last February. In that fight, Benavidez focused on volume punching throughout the 12 rounds. Morrell isn\u2019t built for sustained punching, as he tires quickly after throwing shots. So, he couldn\u2019t match Benavidez\u2019s output and was forced to cover up while Benavidez unloaded.<\/p>\n
Why Smith\u2019s Usual Style Won\u2019t Work Here<\/p>\n
Callum would have to focus on throwing repetitive punches if he wants to mimic what Benavidez did against Morrell. If Smith fights the way he usually does, focusing on loading up on single shots, he\u2019ll be fighting in the style that Cuba-born Morrell does well against.<\/p>\n
The 35-year-old Smith isn\u2019t young, and it\u2019s questionable whether he can change his game for this fight to become Benavidez-esque for him to defeat Morrell with volume. Trying to alter his typical fighting style to focus on increasing his output might be impossible for an older fighter like him.<\/p>\n
Both fighters are coming off grueling contests. Smith\u2019s battle against Joshua Buatsi last November was a brutal one in which both guys traded hard shots for the full 12 rounds. In the end, Callum\u2019s superior power and bodywork got the better of Buatsi. We don\u2019t know what Smith has left after that fight.<\/p>\n
Covering Up Is Not Control<\/p>\n
Morrell, 27, was forced to rally to defeat Imam Khataev by a 10-round split decision after being dropped in the fifth round in his last fight on July 12, 2025. In the fight, Morrell showed the same vulnerabilities that he had in his loss to Benavidez. He often covered up on the ropes, allowing the powerful Khataev to hit him at will with uncontested shots.<\/p>\n
Although Morrell appeared to be blocking most of the punches, the image of Khataev raining shots on him looked like he was winning. Like in the Benavidez bout, Morrell would occasionally go on the attack, lighting up Khataev to the point where he appeared close to being knocked out.<\/p>\n
Instead of Morrell finishing him off, he would back off and cover up once again. It was hard to determine if it was a stamina problem or a lack of a killer instinct. Either way, it\u2019s the same issue Morrell showed against Benavidez and in his fight against Radivoje Kalajdzic. Morrell had him hurt early and inexplicably backed off.<\/p>\n
Ken Woods has been a senior writer at Boxing News 24 since 2013, covering the sport from every angle. With years of ringside reporting, he delivers fight news, results, and analysis that cut through the noise. Ken\u2019s work consistently spotlights champions, contenders, and rising prospects, giving fans a sharp, knowledgeable view of the global boxing scene. His reporting blends on-the-ground event coverage with clear technical insight, making him one of the most reliable voices in modern boxing media.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Volume Is the Problem Morrell Hasn\u2019t Solved Smith has a good blueprint for attacking Morrell, based on his…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":345432,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[2560,101,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-345431","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-boxing","8":"tag-boxing","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/345431","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=345431"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/345431\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/345432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=345431"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=345431"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=345431"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}