How David Benavidez and David Morrell Jr. became unexpected rivals in pursuit of gold and glory

Benavidez and Morrell will face off on Saturday after not being able to secure fights with other top stars like Canelo Alvarez

From an intoxicating clash of in-ring styles to the tremendous stakes at play with the winner expected to challenge for the undisputed crown at 175 pounds, Saturday's PBC on Prime Video pay-per-view main event was already considered a hot ticket on the 2025 boxing calendar. 

But when you add in the pre-fight drama and palpable dislike between David Benavidez and David Morrell, who will square off inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, this summit of unbeaten light heavyweights has become simply a must-see affair. 

It didn't take long once the bout was announced in November for fireworks to escalate at the kickoff press conference in Los Angeles as Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) accused Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs) of performance-enhancing drug use while the Cuban-born slickster mocked his opponent's fighting stance by comparing him to the fictional movie character "RoboCop."