By Dan Ambrose: Middleweight puncher Bryan Vera (18-5, 11 KO’s) showed why he was able to stop highly hyped middleweight contender Andy Lee in the 7th round three years ago in 2008 last night when he pounded out an impressive 10 round decision over former WBC junior middleweight champion Sergio Mora (22-2-2, 6 KO’s) at the Convention Center, in Fort Worth, Texas. Vera, 29, showed excellent power in his right hand and was able stay on top of Mora all night long and wear him down with heavy pressure.

The win puts Vera in the position where he could find himself in against the winner of the March 12th fight against Craig McEwan vs. Andy Lee or possibly against former WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik as well. Vera was supposed to have been Pavlik’s opponent on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito bout in Texas. However, Pavlik pulled out of the fight, leaving Vera out in the cold. Pavlik subsequently entered and completed alcohol rehab for a drinking problem. With Pavlik now out of rehab, he’s training and looking for an opponent. Vera would seem to be the perfect guy for Pavlik to fight, as Pavlik does well against fighters that come straight at him or stand in one place.

However, I think Vera may have looked a little too good against Mora last night, because the power and the pressure that Vera showed in that fight was much better than a fighter who had lost four out of his last five fights. Vera looked like a serious contender in there with Mora, and Pavlik might not want to tangle with someone with the right hand power and the pressure that Vera showed. This would be a very hard fight for Pavlik, because Vera can punch. It would be a shame if Vera left Pavlik a bloody mess the way that Sergio Martinez left him in his last fight in April.

As for Andy Lee, I seriously doubt his promoters will want any part of a rematch with Vera. Lee looked too skinny and weak to handle Vera last time they fought, and I can’t see anything changing. Vera was ringing Lee’s bell regularly in that fight with huge right hands, and Vera looks just as powerful as he was back then. You can forget about a rematch between them, because Lee won’t want any part of that fight.