By Gerardo Granados: Marcos “Chino” Maidana (T31-W29(27)-L2(0)-D0), is a strong young fighter, has good power but his defensive skills are quite average, is one dimensional fighter that has been promoted as a powerful puncher but even the suspected chin of Amir Khan was strong enough to resist the most clean shots from Maidana.
It is doubtful that Rudy Perez will be able to improve that much or to change the style of his pupil in such short time so against Morales we will see Maidana fight the same way he has done in the past. Erik “El Terrible” Morales is no longer in his prime and might not have enough power to stop a natural light welterweight but he has the experience and ring smarts to outbox and to block and slip the power punches of Maidana. Erik was a tremendous fighter who engaged against great fighters and some of them will be considered as candidates to the boxing hall of fame, but what about Maidana?
Maidana is 28 years old and has only achieved an interim WBA light welterweight title to the date, if you review his record you will find out that he has engaged against very poor opposition and most of his knockouts came from those fights, the most outstanding fighters he has faced have defeated him. Notables: lost to Andriy Kotelnik SD12 (former WBA light welterweight champion / T36-W31(13)-L4(0)-D1 / title fights T6-W3(1)-L2(0)-D1); defeated not prime De Marcus Corley by UD12 (former WBO light welterweight / T55-W37(22)-L17(4)-D1 / title fights T6-W3(1)-L3(2)-D0); lost to Amir Khan by UD12 (current WBA light welterweight champion / T25-W24(17)-L1(1)-D0 / title fights T4-W4(2)-L0-D0). Sure he stopped Victor Ortiz but that is not that impresive now.
Morales is 34 years old, former WBC – IBF super feather, WBC feather and WBC – WBO super bantam, notables: Kenny Mitchell, Hector Acero Sanchez, hall of fame Daniel Zaragoza, Jose Luis Bueno, Junior Jones, Wayne McCullough, Marco Antonio Barrera, Kevin Kelley, Guty Espadas jr., In-Jin Chi, Paulie Ayala, Jesus Chavez, Carlos Hernandez, Manny Pacquiao, David Diaz and Jose Alfaro. “The devil is savvy because he is old not because he is evil”, and Erik sure has ring experience.
Some are worried for Morales health others think this fight will end in a brutal beating for Erik. Critics think that Erik Morales is the clear underdog in this fight because Marcos is younger, stronger and has more power than Morales who fights in his fifth weight division but remember that “Chino” has never faced a future hall of fame member, Maidana might be able to defeat Morales but to “murder” him its a different story. The major advantage for Marcos is physical, and he might never be able to reach the boxing skill level that Morales once had and to the date he does not have merits to be considered as a candidate to the boxing hall of fame.
For some this fight is so uneven, but remember that boxing is an art a martial art it is, so if you are smart and know how to defend properly and know how to counter-punch you will always will have a chance to win against a younger and stronger man.
If Morales was to face Congressman Pacquiao or Amir Khan then the story would be different. “El Terrible” is facing Maidana who hits hard and keeps pressure for the full round he is not facing prime Roberto Duran or Julio Cesar Chavez, so lets give the right dimension to all this criticism towards Morales because Maidana is a good fighter but he will never be as good as Duran or Chavez were, no need to say that he will never be as good as Morales was.
Comments are closed.