David Morrell

Osvary David Morrell Gutierrez Jr. (born January 18, 1998) is a Cuban professional boxer. He has held the World Boxing Association (Regular version) light-heavyweight title since 2024 and previously the WBA (Regular version) 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.

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.

Morrell made his professional debut on August 28, 2019, scoring a first-round knockout (KO) 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 (UD) 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 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.

On October 8, 2024 it was announced that Morrell would face David Benavidez, who at that time held interim WBC light heavyweight title.