By Dan Ambrose: Former IBF/WBC super featherweight champion Erik Morales (49-6, 34 KO’s) faces Scotland’s Willie Limond (33-2, 8 KO’s) this Saturday in a 12 round bout for the vacant WBC Continental Americas light welterweight title. Morales has fought only once in the past three years and has lost five of his last seven fights. In his recent training video, Morales looks badly emaciated like he’s had to take off too much weight in too short of a time.

Morales could take a beating from the 31-year-old Limond unless he is able to fight better than he looks. In Morales last fight against jose Alfaro in March, Morales looked fat, slow and weak as he won a 12 round decision. I had Alfaro winning the fight by 8 rounds to 4, and two of the rounds that I gave to Morales were ones that I still thought Alfaro should have won. However, Morales is a much bigger name than Alfaro and it would have taken a near miracle for the little known Alfaro to have won that fight.

It’s probably going to take another miracle for Limond to win a decision over Morales, since the fight will be taking place in Mexico. What Morales has going for him in this fight is that Limond isn’t a big puncher. If he was, we’d likely see Morales get stopped again like he was in his two knockout losses to Manny Pacquiao in 2006.

Morales wants to get a fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, the WBA/WBO lightweight champion. However, I think the fight would be nothing more than a circus attraction or an old fighter’s all star fight unless Morales were to fight and beat a legitimate top light welterweight or lightweight. To throw Morales in with Marquez after a controversial win against Limond would be ridiculous.

Morales is probably going to look slow and weak against Limond, and I can’t see there being any reason to match Morales up with Marquez unless he can beat a legimiate contender in either the light welterweight or lightweight divisions. I don’t think he can, at least not without controversy.

Morales has been beaten by Pacquiao, David Diaz and Marco Antonio Barrera in the past six years.