Alas, it had to come to this. Just yesterday, David Benavidez shared the frame with David Morrell. It was for the last press conference before their long-anticipated showdown on February 1st. With the light heavyweight fight just around the corner, it was obvious that emotions would run high and as usual the two would most probably get into another scuffle. Fortunately or unfortunately, that did not happen. What happened instead was they ended up flinging accusations—one of which caused quite a stir.

While seated at the dais, David Benavidez brought up an issue that had nothing to do with the fight itself. It was about Morrell’s manager, Luis DeCubas Sr. When DeCubas took the stage to speak about the fight and his fighter, Benavidez interrupted him to allege that DeCubas Sr was earning more money from the fight than his fighter David Morrell. Benavidez had been alleging that the manager was taking the lion’s share of Morrell’s money for the February fight ever since their first press conference, but this time around, the claim attracted more eyes and definitely more ears. One among them—a host from Fight Hub TV.

Translator concerned by David Morrell’s threats

Following the Las Vegas press conference, David Morrell sat down with Marcos Villegas from Fight HubTV where the host decided to ask Morrell about the claim made only minutes earlier. The clip on their dialogue (part of which was in Spanish) was shared on X. And the caption on the clip simplified the conversation. It read, “😱 “You’re Team Benavidez!”- David Morrell. David Morrell SNAPS at reporter after being asked if it’s true or not that his manager is making more money than him for his fight against Benavidez.” The reporter asked, “You know he’s bringing up that your manager is making more money than you. Can you clear the air on that? They’re not true, right?”

The Cuban southpaw, however, wasn’t interested in entertaining Benavidez’s remarks. He responded in Spanish, “It doesn’t matter to me. It doesn’t matter. If this was so, I would beat him for my manager to earn more money than him or whatever.” However, Morrell quickly turned on Villegas next. “You are the manager of team Benavidez? I’ve heard your stuff and that’s why you ask those questions, you know. But don’t worry,” Morrell declared, threateningly. This concerned the translator, who refused to convey a part of his reply. “He speaks Spanish,” added Morrell, pointing to the journalist.

The question was clearly a point of contention for Morrell, and his answer left no room for ambiguity. But the reporter pressed further, saying, “I stay objective. I don’t inject my opinion on anything. So when I was asking that question, I meant it for you to just clear the air. Because you know, it was streamed live, a lot of people saw and they wanna know.”

But the interim WBA light heavyweight wasn’t too interested in the clarification. He continued, “It’s something stupid. Because he says stupid things. He’s a little kid.” Morrell found it ridiculous how one could imagine a manager earning more than a fighter. He also expressed that anyone who believed Benavidez’s accusation was “more stupid that what they say.”

The Santa Clara native made it clear that the conversation was not worthy of his time. But what exactly sparked the clash between the two boxers? Was it just the money talk, or was there something deeper at play?

The charge that sparked it off

It all started when David Benavidez accused DeCubas of taking more from Morrell’s earnings, which DeCubas strongly denied. “Who’s taking more money out of David Morrell’s check?” the Mexican Monster’ yelled out. Luis DeCubas Sr. without providing direct answers, looked at Benavidez and said, “I want to thank this guy here for taking the shot, okay? A lot of guys won’t take it anymore. He had the ba**s to step up, which I got to give him credit for.”

It even required intervention from organizers as their verbal spat continued for some time. DeCubas, however, dismissed Benavidez’s accusations, calling them distractions. He defended Morrell’s team, highlighting financial transparency under promoter Al Haymon. Not only that. He also criticized the Phoenix-born undefeated champ for hypocrisy regarding VADA testing.

While brief, this argument sheds light on the business side of boxing. Some argue it exposes hidden issues, while others believe the focus should remain on the sport.

As the tension builds, fans are left to wonder: Will the heated words between the two fighters fuel their performances? One thing is certain—February 1st will be a night to remember. Who do you think will come out on top in the showdown between Benavidez and Morrell? Do you think personal disputes like this affect a fighter’s performance in the ring?