Boxing News Boxing News
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Mexican legend Erik Morales very nearly pulled off a major upset last night at Las Vegas’ famed MGM Grand but the former three weight world champion lost a majority decision to Marcos Rene Maidana for the Interim WBA light welter title.
Career light welter Maidana went to work right away on his rival, an ex-super bantam, feather and super feather titlist and Morales was soon put in a bad situation as his right eye was grotesquely swollen shut.
The far greater big fight experience of Morales was instrumental in “El Terrible” wising choosing to let Maidana wear himself down in the first half of the bout, erupting occasionally out of a defensive posture to let rip on some vintage straight right hands that still carried a lot of power.
It was that power and accuracy that kept Morales in the fight during the second half as Maidana was shaken at times by classic combinations from the veteran, who proved he could walk through the best the Argentine puncher could dish out.
Maidana’s higher activity rate in the final rounds finally put distance between the pair as “El Chino”, 30-2 (27), was awarded a majority decision victory via scores of 116-112, 116-112 and 114-114.
Morales, 51-7 (35), showed that his incredible heart and chin are still intact and that he can compete at the highest level against a top light welter. Certainly a title shot is in his near future.
Ex-IBF featherweight and super feather champ Robert Guerrero, 29-1-1 (18), put on a masterful boxing display against danger man Michael Katsidis, outclassing the Aussie over twelve rounds via marks of 118-106, 118-107 and 117-108.
With the victory, southpaw Guerrero captures the Interim WBA and WBO lightweight titles, which almost guarantees a hotly anticipated showdown with Juan Manuel Marquez, who holds both the WBA and WBO titles at 135 pounds.
Former WBA light welter strap holder Paulie Malignaggi, 29-4 (6), defeated Jose Miguel Cotto, 32-3-1 (24), by scores of 99-91, 99-91 and 97-93 in a ten round welterweight scrap.
Japan’s Nobuhiro Ishida, 23-6-2 (8), a former Interim WBA light middle ruler made short work of heavily favored and highly regarded middleweight prospect James Kirkland, 27-1 (24).
The big punching American began pressuring Ishida immediately but was dropped with the first punch landed by the far taller veteran, who canvassed southpaw Kirkland twice more enroute to a TKO at 1:52 of the first round.
39 year old former Unified lightweight champion Nate Campbell, 33-8-1 (25), lost his third consecutive bout at light welter as he was outpointed over ten rounds, 100-90, 99-91 and 98-92 by 23 year old prospect Danny Garcia, 21-0 (14).
