David Morrell Jr. makes quick work of title defense at Armory

Mario Cazares made a grand entrance in celebrating his Mexican heritage before Sunday night's main event against David Morrell Jr. in the boxing card at the Minneapolis Armory.

Cazares, 12-0 and fresh from a victory over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., walked along the ramp in a red sombrero and a red vinyl robe. He was accompanied by traditional music from the home country. A member of the entourage was waving a Mexican flag.

Fifteen minutes later, Cazares was waving to the crowd as he left the ring — this time assurance that he remained ambulatory.

Morrell, 23, from Cuba and now fighting out of Minneapolis, put up with Cazares' holding and also a low blow, then hit him with a lightning, amazing left. Cazares disappeared in a lump on the floor of the ring.

The fight was over: a straight KO at 2 minutes, 32 seconds of the first round.

Morrell, in only his fifth pro fight, had defended his WBA super middleweight title in stunning fashion.

Recently, Sankara Frazier, Morrell's trainer, said when fighters are moving around the ring, and then Morrell lands his first solid punch, their eyes pop wide open in surprise.

Not this time. Cazares' eyes went shut.

Asked in a post-fight media scrum if the left was as quick and short as it appeared to the naked eye, Morrell said: "It was a good left … a powerful punch. It was long enough."

Morrell answers questions through an interpreter, while also mixing in English that he seems to be picking up at a rapid pace.

Question: Could he sense that Cazares knew how much trouble he was in when the holding started?

Morrell smiled and said: "I was prepared to fight. It was like, 'You want to fight, let's go.' And then he hit me with an elbow right away. That told me he was desperate."

Morrell's first pro fight was on Aug. 31, 2019, at the Armory. That one lasted only 65 seconds against Yendris Valdez, an opponent offering no danger to Morrell.

That was also the last boxing card at the Armory, because of the pandemic shutdown. When boxing and Morrell returned to the ring in Minneapolis 22 months later, he had three more wins, including a 12-round decision over Lennox Allen that gave him the WBA title.

The announced crowd Sunday night was 3,717, and they seemed very into the idea that Morrell is fighting out of Minneapolis by choice. The gasp of surprise as Cazares went down, followed by the roar, made Morrell feel right at home.

It was announced after the fight Ned Abul, the owner of the Armory, remodeled grandly with his money, has joined Morrell's management team, which is headed by Luis DeCubas and Warriors boxing in Miami.

"I love fighting here before these Minnesota fans, and my affiliation with the Armory is sweet," Morrell said in a post-fight statement.

DeCubas lived in the Twin Cities from 1966 through 1984. His parents were close with Tony and Gordette Oliva. And now that's the case with Morrell.

"Luis introduced me to the Olivas," Morrell said recently. "They are great people. We have developed a loving relationship."

The Olivas were in the crowd on Sunday. And that lefthanded line drive delivered by Morrell to end the contest … that must have seemed poetic for Tony O.