By Dan Ambrose: The last person you would think would have the style to beat the slugger Marcos Maidana (29-2, 27 KO’s) is 34-year-old Erik Morales (51-6, 35 KO’s), a smaller, fading slugger himself. Morales is like the super bantamweight division’s version of Maidana, except that Morales’ time at the top was from 1997 to 2005.
Morales has left his best years in the rear view mirror long ago, yet here he is now fighting at light welterweight, looking fat and taking on the hardest puncher in the division.
In yesterday’s telephone press conference, Morales said “People have to remember that I chose the fight with Maidana. My technique is better than his. There are certain rules. I just hope he follows them.”
Morales may have better technique, but against a bigger, younger and much stronger fighter like Maidana, it really doesn’t matter how much better Morales’ technique is. In his prime, Morales had decent hand speed, good power and an ability to take punishment and throw a lot of combinations.
Since making his comeback in 2010, Morales is slower, easier to hit and his power isn’t nearly as pronounced at light welterweight compared to when he was fighting at super bantamweight. That’s understandable, because Morales has moved up in weight four divisions. That’s a huge step up for a fighter as old and war weary as Morales. You don’t like to see fighters moving up in weight that much, not at Morales’ age. Manny Pacquiao has been able to get away with it, but then again Pacquiao is a lot faster and younger than Morales.
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