Although Mexican fighter Erik Morales lost on points (114-114 even and 116-112 twice), BoxingScene.com?s Jake Donovan was right, ?Marcos Maidana Wins?And So Does Erik Morales?.
It was truly fascinating to again watch Morales, all of 34 years, display his fighting skills and most of all his big fighting heart against the younger, 27-year old Argentine, Marcos Maidana (30-2). Maidana thus, claimed the World Boxing Association (WBA) interim super-lightweight title.
Despite the judges? verdict, Morales claims he won, ?Maidana may have won a close fight but it wasn?t a clean win for him. I thought I landed the better punches. I thought I won. I know I still had speed and velocity, but more importantly I had heart,? according to a report of BBC Sport.
Not only did Morales, whose right eye was practically closed as early as the second round, think he won, but he also expressed his desire to fight fellow Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez, who was actually originally scheduled to fight Morales last Saturday. He was replaced by Maidana who barely won a 12-round majority decision over Morales (51-7, 35 KOs).
Sports journalist Rick Reeno says that another option for Morales is a rematch with Maidana, who was heavily favored to knock out Marquez and permanently send the former three-division champion to retirement. Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions told BoxingScene.com that he?s ready to make whatever fight Morales wants.
?We?ll ask Morales what he wants. If he wants the rematch (with Maidana, then we?ll do the rematch. If he wants Marquez, then we?ll talk to Marquez,? said Schaefer.
In fighting Maidana, Morales, who won one and lost two of three fights by knockout to Manny Pacquiao, was going for his fourth straight win since stepping out of retirement a year ago. Morales had retired with a record of 48-6 after losing a unanimous decision to another Pacquiao victim, David Diaz for the latter?s World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight title. He unretired to fight Jose Alfaro and won via unanimous decision on March 27, 2010 in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
Morales?s next two fights were with virtual unknowns for WBC?s new crowns designed, some say, to increase the organization?s earnings through sanction fees. Morales won the WBC silver light welterweight title by knocking out Willie Limond in the sixth round on Sept. 9, 2010. He then won a 12-round unanimous decision over Francisco Lorenzo on Dec. 18, 2010 to retain his WBC silver title. All three of Morales?s fights were held in Mexico, far cry from the center of big time boxing, Las Vegas, scene of some of his most memorable triumphs.
Morales was not expected to win over Maidana, even if Maidana himself will probably remain within the fringes of megabuck fights for the rest of his career. In a survey of 10 boxing insiders conducted by Lem Satterfield, not one predicted a Morales victory.
Steve Farhood, Showtime boxing analyst commented, ?for Morales, wrong weight class, wrong opponent, wrong time. Maidana by stoppage in round seven?. Kieran Mulvaney, ESPN Boxing and Reuters alternated between indignation and pity saying, ?I hate this fight it. Hate it. I hope that Morales leaves the ring with only his ego damaged, but I fear the worst. This is a guy who was complaining his head hurt after fighting Diaz. And now, this proud warrior is going to be fed to a murderous-punching natural junior welterweight??
The fight did not turn out to be the mismatch that analysts predicted. Maidana threw everything at Morales save for the kitchen sink but Morales kept coming back and even engaged the Argentine in a slugfest in the eighth round.
Morales?s brave stand reminded us of his classic fights against another great Mexican warrior (and Pacquiao victim), Marco Antonio Barrera. In Feb. 2000, Morales beat Barrera by split decision to claim the WBO super bantamweight title in a fight adjudged Fight of the Year by The Ring. In June 2002, the two faced each other again with Morales losing his WBC featherweight crown. More than losing the crown, the real bitter pill for Morales to swallow was tasting defeat for the first time after compiling a 41-0 record. On Nov. 27, 2004, Morales fought Barrera for the WBC super featherweight title and lost on scores of 114-114, 114-115, 113-115. Their third meeting was once again named The Ring Fight of the Year.
I saw Morales defeat Pacquiao on March 19, 2005 in Las Vegas. Morales looked great but his skills deteriorated after two successive losses, both by knockout, to Pacquiao, followed by a loss to the very average Diaz.
While it?s Morales good fortune that he has not suffered from any serious injury, perhaps, it is indeed time for him to hang up his gloves permanently.
