This Saturday, at the Copper Box Arena in London, our very own Dario Morello (26-1-0, 4 KOs) will face local favorite George Liddard (14-0-0, 8 KOs) in the main event of the card promoted by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing. The prestigious vacant European middleweight title will be on the line. In this article, I will attempt to dissect the technical and tactical aspects that could play a key role in the fight, as well as, as usual, give my prediction for the final outcome.
Dario Morello and the Art of Exploiting Weaknesses
Many people believe that Dario Morello’s greatest boxing attribute is his defense. Personally, I don’t share that assessment. I believe his standout quality is instead his tactical intelligence. Throughout his career, but especially in recent times, “Spartan,” working alongside his father and trainer Ercole, has shown a remarkable ability to exploit his opponents’ main weaknesses and adjust his strategy accordingly.
Against Luca Chiancone, Morello made the most of his opponent’s tendency to take prolonged breaks between offensive bursts, outworking him and accumulating valuable points during the “quieter” phases of the fight thanks to a dense barrage of punches. Against Yassin Hermi, Dario took advantage of his opponent’s less-than-rock-solid chin, shaking him with his left overhand, sapping his confidence and making him hesitant in his advances. Against Faton Vukshinaj, Spartan punished the Swiss fighter’s tendency to rely predominantly on wide, full-blooded hooks, making him miss with his upper-body movement before firing back promptly and effectively.
Will the Morello team be able to repeat the trick on the biggest night of all, identifying Liddard’s weaknesses and finding a way to punish the young English prospect as well?
George Liddard: An Opponent Who Is Not Easy to Catch Out
In some interviews, Morello has said that the boxer he will face in London is nothing special and that his level is comparable to that of opponents he has already defeated in the past. He may be right, but I see things differently: I believe Liddard represents a clear and significant step up in class compared to the challenges the Italian fighter has faced so far.
The 24-year-old from Essex cannot be neutralized in the same way as the former opponents of Morello mentioned in this article. Unlike Chiancone, Liddard maintains a high pace from the opening bell to the last, as is customary among British fighters. Unlike Hermi, Liddard appears decidedly tough: whenever he is hit hard, he comes back with twice the ferocity. Unlike Vukshinaj, Liddard makes good use of straight punches, possessing a very accurate left jab and a sharp, explosive right hand.
Of course, the English fighter is not some kind of invulnerable warrior: he undoubtedly has flaws of his own. The two areas in which Liddard has so far shown a less-than-impressive level are footwork and defense, but taking advantage of those shortcomings, as I will try to explain in the final section of this article, will be far from easy.
What Will Happen? The Boxe Punch Prediction!
As was the case in his most recent fight against Faton Vukshinaj, it is highly likely that Morello will rely systematically and consistently on his mobility during the early rounds, avoiding prolonged exchanges and trying to establish long range by moving along the ropes without presenting a stationary target.
Spartan is experienced enough to know how dangerous it can be to get caught with a big shot before he has settled into the fight: putting his war helmet on immediately would give Liddard too many tempting opportunities while also allowing him to gain confidence right away and find his rhythm.
However, it seems unlikely that the Italian fighter will be able to maintain a hit-and-run strategy for the entire duration of the fight. There are at least two fundamental reasons why I find this scenario unconvincing.
First of all, since moving up two weight classes from welterweight to middleweight, Morello has lost something in terms of agility and footwork. Dario now carries a visibly bulkier frame, and making him cover mile after mile around the ring like a spinning top would require too much stamina and energy, creating a real risk of running out of gas at the crucial moments.
Secondly, I believe Morello is going to London intending to win and convinced that he can do so. I do not subscribe to the theory that our fighter accepted this fight solely because of the purse. Consequently, Dario, being perfectly aware that winning a round on the road requires him to take it very convincingly, will be encouraged to plant his feet, make his opponent miss and fire back.
If there is one thing that the matchups between Italian and British fighters have taught us over the past few years, besides our enormous difficulties in proving ourselves competitive, it is that British fighters always step into the ring with a clear and lucid understanding of their opponents’ characteristics. We can therefore bet that when Liddard applies his pressure, he will not be caught by surprise by Morello’s upper-body movement, performed with his head almost down at waist level, or by his looping left hands.
Mutatis mutandis, Morello could encounter difficulties similar to those Gianfranco Rosi experienced almost forty years ago in his ill-fated world title defense against Donald Curry. Rosi, who was a master at reading his opponents’ intentions in advance and catching them off guard with sudden reactions, was burned that night by the quick, straight shots fired by the Texan Cobra.
Liddard is obviously not in Curry’s class, but his first-intention right hand could prove to be an equally dangerous tool for prying open the defense of our Spartan, which relies heavily on reflexes and anticipation. The Englishman’s heavy body uppercuts also look particularly dangerous and could, as the rounds go by, sap Morello’s agility, athletic freshness and sharpness, leaving him increasingly exposed and vulnerable.
Our representative would probably be able to make it to the final bell by drawing on his experience and guile, abandoning his ambitions of victory and relying instead on spoiling tactics. But taking the assumption that Morello intends to pursue this opportunity to the very end, whatever the cost, I fear that in the long run he will succumb to the physical strength and offensive talent of the man standing opposite him.
I therefore predict a George Liddard victory by knockout in the second half of the fight.