By Michael Lieberman: WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez 952-5-1, 38 KO’s) may have shot himself in the foot by selecting shop warn Erik Morales (51-6, 35 KO’s) as his next opponent on April 16th. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t matter in the least that Marquez is taking a money fight against a shot fighter like Morales except that Marquez is hoping to get a big money fight against Manny Pacquiao, a welterweight, and Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum has already advised Marquez to prove himself by taking on and beating World Boxing Council welterweight champion Andre Berto (27-0, 21 KO’s) before Arum would consider matching Pacquiao back up with Marquez.

It would have been no problem for Marquez to get a fight with Berto, because Berto is eager to take on a named fighter and he would likely jump at the chance to fight another small guy like Marquez. Since winning his WBC welterweight title in 2008, Berto has much of his time defending his title against smaller light welterweights instead of guys from his own division. Berto would have likely jumped at the chance to fight a little guy like Marquez. But for Marquez, facing Morales isn’t going to help him get the Pacquiao fight that he’s been wanting so badly.

Although the WBC has Morales ranked at #2 in the light welterweight division, in truth Morales is really nothing more than a fat super featherweight campaigning in the light welterweight division against 2nd tier opposition. You take away the spare tire that Morales is wearing around his midsection and you have a super featherweight masquerading as a light welterweight. Marquez won’t get much beating up Morales, and it won’t impress boxing fans when they see how shot Morales is. Marquez may have blown his chance to get the Pacquiao fight, because Berto was the guy he should have went after. Morales won’t prepare Marquez for a bout against Berto.