By Jim Dower: One of the benefits of training under the tutelage of new trainer Nacho Beristain is that it may give Argentinian knockout artist Marcos Maidana (29-2, 27 KO’s) the opportunity to spar with the great Juan Manuel Marquez to learn some things from him in the sparring sessions to help improve Maidana’s game while he gets ready for his April 9th fight against former three time world champion Erik Morales (51-6, 35 KO’s) at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Maidana, 27, recently left his trainer Miguel Diaz to begin training with Beristain in Mexico, who just so happens to be the training for Marquez. Since Marquez still doesn’t have a fight lined up after passing on the option of facing Morales on April 9th, he’s likely going to be still looking and will no doubt be around the Romanza gym while Maidana is training with Beristain.

This would be a great opportunity for Marquez to strap on the head gear and gloves and train with Maidana. It would be an excellent opportunity for both fighters, because Marquez wants to move up to the light welterweight division and who better to spar with than Maidana, who perhaps the #2 or #3 fighter in the division after his impressive showing against Amir Khan last December. Marquez would be helping himself if he were to train as much as possible with Maidana because he’s going to need to get used to being in with bigger and stronger fighters if he wants to compete in the light welterweight division.

As for Maidana-Morales, that fight is going to be a mismatch. Maidana will walk through Morales punches and give a terrible beating. It could wind up like a sparring session between a champion Maidana and a once great fighter who can no longer compete against the best. Morales, a former featherweight champion, is really out of place at light welterweight and the WBC didn’t do Morales any favors by ranking him at number #1 in the light welterweight division rankings.