It seems forever ago that Mexican legend Erik Morales out-boxed and out-fought Manny Pacquiao over 12 rounds in Las Vegas back in March 2005.
The encore to Morales? greatest victory was little more than his in-the-ring obituary. First came a loss to slickster Zahir Raheem, then two KO losses to Pacquiao, followed by a 2007 decision loss to David Diaz.
Four straight losses.
A 31-month sabbatical.
The inevitable comeback and three wins over ?B? opponents.
Pay-Per-View headliner.
Massive underdog.
And that?s where Morales finds himself when he takes on Argentine bruiser Marcos Maidana as the headlining bout of the ?Action Heroes? PPV card from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Saturday.
Morales opened as a 3-to-1 underdog at most online betting sites. During fight week, the odds against Morales have climbed.
As of Thursday afternoon Maidana was -800 to Morales? +550 (up from +500 Wednesday). The respect bestowed upon Maidana was no-doubt buoyed by his close decision loss to Amir Khan in December. In that bout, he had Khan out on his feet in the 10th round of a Fight of the Year candidate. Khan is a 24-year-old star in his prime, while Morales is 34 with the wear-and-tear of 57 pro fights.
Morales views things differently. In Maidana, he sees vulnerability.
?He’s a fighter that comes forward,? Morales said on a recent conference call. ?He’s a fighter that throws punches. He’s going to be right in front of me. But let me ask you something? Let me ask you something? Do you think that he’s faster than some of the fighters I faced? Do you think he hits harder than Pacquiao, for instance??
And no, Maidana does not hit harder than Pacquiao. But unlike Morales, he is a full-fledged 140-pounder at his physical apex. Nicknamed ?Kid Cojones? by HBO?s Larry Merchant, Maidana won?t relent under the stress of an older, naturally smaller man.
That is the logic behind the big-money players who have pushed Maidana as the prohibitive favorite. Despite being knocked down by hard-hitting junior welterweights Khan and Victor Ortiz, Maidana only fought harder once he got up.
Morales is a nominal puncher at 140. And while he might make things entertaining for a few rounds, it should be all Maidana, who fights like a snarling Pamplona bull.
At -500 or -800, it?s Maidana?s fight to lose. And Morales, the old warhorse who once hung an ?L? on the great Manny Pacquiao among many others, has little shot to win. Not against this tough-as-nails Argentine.
Made of Money
Trouble from Mr. Taxman continues to shadow Floyd Mayweather Jr. Last week, the Detroit News reported that Mayweather owes $3.4 million in unpaid taxes from 2009. That was the year he returned to the ring following his ?retirement? and defeated Juan Manuel Marquez.
But if you were to believe Mayweather, he is flush with cash. Just check his Twitter account, which he uses to post pictures of his winning gambling tickets.
March 28 saw an $8695.65 bounty on a Phoenix Suns halftime wager. That is chump change compared to the nearly $91,000 won on Duke basketball back on March 24.
Of course, Mayweather never posts his losing tickets. Because, you know, Floyd ?Money? Mayweather never loses.
Heavy odds
Also on Saturday, heavyweight contender Tomasz Adamek fights Kevin McBride from the Prudential Center in Newark. Adamek (-5000) is scheduled to face Vitali Klitschko in September, so McBride (+2500) should serve as a safe tune-up. Since beating a badly faded Mike Tyson in 2005, McBride is 2-4 against marginal competition.
Weekend Picks
In Morales-Maidana, take the under of 9.5 rounds (-230). In Robert Guerrero-Michael Katsidis, take Guerrero (-230). At +1,000, Nate Campbell is worth a flyer against Danny Garcia.
