Mares, Moreno In Title Fights Tonight In Texas

Tonight, the Don Haskins Convention Center in El Paso, TX will host a double world title fight bill featuring Abner Mares and Anselmo Moreno.

Mares, 23-0-1 (13), heads up to super bantam following his two-bout reign as IBF bantam champ and will be facing seasoned campaigner Eric Morel, 46-2 (23), for the vacant WBC 122 pound crown.

The 26 year old Mexican is coming off consecutive bouts against Yhonny Perez, Vic Darchinyan and two with Joseph Agbeko, the first of which was riddled with low-blow controversy while the second was a sweep by Mares.

Morel is ten years older than Mares and the veteran of eight world title clashes from his reign as WBA flyweight king from 2000 to 2003.

Since losing that belt to Lorenzo Parra in 2003, Morel has only received a chance at the big time on one occasion, losing a WBA super fly title clash to Martin Castillo in 2005.

After sitting out three years following that contest, Morel has strung together a streak of 11 wins, mostly against less than world class competition aside from 40 year old Gerry Penalosa, whom Morel defeated in 2010 for the Interim WBO bantam strap.

Although Morel will have the height, reach and experience advantages going into this clash, Mares has much less mileage on the clock and will definitely be the favorite this evening.

Neither man has fought an important bout at 122 pounds and it will be interesting to see if either one of them handles the weight better but this one will likley come down to Mares having better stamina in the later rounds for a points win.

The world’s top rated fighter at bantamweight, Anselmo Moreno, 32-1-1 (11), of Panama, puts his WBA “Super” crown at risk on the undercard, facing Mexico’s David De La Mora, 24-1 (17), over a scheduled 12 rounder.

De La Mora previously held the WBC Fecarbox belt in 2010 but fell short when he was canvassed in the third during a hard fought, close points loss to WBA bantam king Koki Kameda in Tokyo last August.

The Tijuana man faces a daunting task this evening in the form of southpaw Moreno, who has retained the WBA trophy nine straight times since dethroning Volodymyr Sydorenko four years ago.

Moreno is coming off a masterful dismantling of Vic Darchinyan in December and is almost certain to notch a tenth successful defense.