By Jim Dower: World Boxing Association light welterweight interim champion Marcos Maidana (29-1, 27 KO’s) failed to make a case for himself on Saturday night that he deserves a shot against WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan. Maidana, 27, struggled to beat 36-year-old former WBO light welterweight champion DeMarcus Corley (37-14-1, 22 KO’s) by a 12 round unanimous decision at the Estadio Luna Park, Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal, Argentina. The final judges’ scores were 117-110, 115-112 and 116-110. Maidana looked poor throughout this fight and he should be grateful that Corley wasn’t five or six years younger, because he likely would have won this fight.

Corley, no more than a journeyman now who came into tonight’s fight having lost two out of his last three fights, overcame a 7th round knockdown and several other rough periods in the fight to take charge of the bout in the last three rounds and hurt Maidana multiple times. Instead of Maidana, the younger fighter, finishing up strong, it was Corley who was coming on and pounding the younger and highly hyped Maidana.

Corley got the better of the action in rounds one through four. Maidana just wasn’t throwing enough punches and looked a little uncoordinated. Maidana began to come on in the 5th round, landing some big shots to the head of Corley. In the 6th round, Maidana had Corley badly hurt from some big right hands near the end of the round. In the 7th, Maidana continued to batter Corley, and knocked him to the canvas. However, Maidana was unable to finish Corley off.

In the 8th and 9th rounds, Maidana continued to give Corley a one-sided beating. However, Maidana ran out of gas after the 9th and began to take punishment from Corley in the 10th. Maidana was hurt in the round. Corley continued to dominate in the 11th and 12th rounds, as Maidana was badly fatigued and looking confused.