David Morrell (boxer)


Osvary David Morrell Gutierrez Jr. is a Cuban professional boxer. He held the World Boxing Association light-heavyweight title from 2024 to 2025 and previously the WBA super-middleweight title from 2021 to 2024. As an amateur, he won gold medals at the 2016 Youth World Championships and the 2017 Cuban National Championships.
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Amateur career

During an amateur career in which Morrell compiled a record of 130–5, he won gold medals at the 2016 Youth World Championships, where he was named "Best Boxer of the Tournament", 2017 Cuban National Championships, and the 2018 India Open International Boxing Tournament.

Professional career

Morrell made his professional debut on August 28, 2019, scoring a first-round knockout victory over Yendris Rodriguez Valdez at the Minneapolis Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
He scored a second-round KO victory against Quinton Rankin in November before facing Lennox Allen for the vacant WBA interim super middleweight title on August 8, 2020, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. The bout featured on the undercard of the interim welterweight title fight between Thomas Dulorme and Jamal James. The event was originally scheduled to take place on April 11 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In what was described as a dominant performance, Morrell captured the WBA interim title via twelve-round unanimous decision with the judges' scorecards reading 120–108, 119–109, and 118–110.
He was set to make the first defense of his title against Mike Gavronski on December 26 at the Shine Exposition Hall in Los Angeles. After Morrell failed to weigh within the super middleweight limit, reports claimed that he had been stripped of his title. However, it was later revealed that a clause in the fight contract allowed for the fight to continue as a non-title contest. Morrell defeated Gavronski via third-round KO.
The following month, Morrell was elevated from interim champion to Regular champion. The first defense of his Regular title came against Mario Cazares on June 27, 2021, at the Minneapolis Armory. Morrell Retained his title via first-round KO.
After defending his title on November 5, 2022, against Aidos Yerbossynuly, knocking him out in the 12th round, Yerbossynuly was hospitalized and put into an induced coma due to a subdural hematoma.

Morrell vs. Kalajdzic

Morrell was scheduled to face Radivoje Kalajdzic at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on August 3, 2024. Morrell defeated Kalajdzic by unanimous decision and won the vacant WBA "Regular" light heavyweight title.

Morrell vs. Benavidez

On October 8, 2024 it was announced that Morrell would face David Benavidez, who at that time held the WBC interim light heavyweight title. On February 1, 2025, the two met at the T-Mobile Arena in Nevada, engaging in a highly competitive fight that saw both fighters throwing at a high volume. While Benavidez controlled most of the fight, Morrell scored a flash knockdown over Benavidez towards the end of the 11th, the second of Benavidez's career. However, following a furious exchange at the end of the round, Morrell threw a shot after the bell that connected on Benavidez, which prompted Thomas Taylor to deduct a point from Morrell. After a similarly high-paced 12th round, Morrell lost via a unanimous decision, losing by scores of 118–108 and 115–111 twice, with Benavidez taking his WBA title in the process. CompuBox stats revealed that Morrell and Benavidez threw 601 and 553 punches respectively, yet Benavidez out-landed Morrell 224 to 165, connecting at a more accurate rate of 40.5% compared to Morrell's 27.5%. This was the first loss of Morrell's career.

Morrell vs. Khataev

On July 12, 2025, Morrell faced unbeaten prospect Imam Khataev, who was coming into the bout 10–0 with 9 KOs. On July 8, the International Testing Agency, under the auspicies of the IBA, revealed that Khataev had tested positive for clomifene in April of that year, handing Khataev a two-year suspension. Despite this, Morrell insisted on pursuing the bout as scheduled, and given the IBA's apparently limited jurisdiction, the bout was allowed to continue.
Despite suffering the first knockdown of his career in the fifth round, Morrell bounced back in the second half of the fight and won a controversial 10-round split decision, handing Khataev his defeat.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
13Win12–1Imam KhataevSD10Jul 12, 2025Louis Armstrong Stadium, New York City, New York, U.S.
12Loss11–1David BenavidezUD12Feb 1, 2025T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Lost WBA light-heavyweight title;
For WBC interim light-heavyweight title
11Win11–0Radivoje KalajdzicUD12Aug 3, 2024BMO Stadium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.Won vacant WBA (Regular) light-heavyweight title
10Win10–0Sena AgbekoTKO2, 1:43Dec 16, 2023Minneapolis Armory, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.Retained WBA super-middleweight title
9Win9–0Yamaguchi FalcãoKO1, Apr 22, 2023T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Retained WBA super-middleweight title
8Win8–0Aidos YerbossynulyKO12 2:34Nov 5, 2022Minneapolis Armory, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.Retained WBA super-middleweight title
7Win7–0Kalvin HendersonTKO4, 2:35Jun 4, 2022Minneapolis Armory, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.Retained WBA super-middleweight title
6Win6–0Alantez FoxTKO4, 2:06Dec 18, 2021Minneapolis Armory, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.Retained WBA super-middleweight title
5Win5–0Mario Abel CazaresKO1, 2:32Jun 27, 2021Minneapolis Armory, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.Retained WBA (Regular) super-middleweight title
4Win4–0Mike GavronskiKO3, 2:45Dec 26, 2020Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
3Win3–0Lennox Allen12Aug 8, 2020Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles, California, U.S.Won vacant WBA interim super-middleweight title
2Win2–0Quinton RankinKO2, 1:01Nov 2, 2019MGM National Harbor, Oxon Hill, Maryland, U.S.
1Win1–0Yendris Rodriguez Valdez1, 1:05Aug 31, 2019Minneapolis Armory, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.