MARES, MOREL WELL BELOW SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT LIMIT
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 21 Apr 2012
Both former super flyweight champion Abner Mares (23-0-1, 13 KO) and veteran Eric Morel (46-2, 23 KO?s) both came in well below the super bantamweight limit at the official weigh-in for the battle for the vacant WBC super bantamweight title on Sunday, Manila Time at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas.
Mares tipped the scales at 119 ? pounds while Morel was exactly 120. The super bantamweight limit is 122.
The fight will be telecast beginning at 12:00 noon on Action Television, AKTV IBC 13 on the popular weekly program ?Big Time Bakbakan.?
Mares who is favored to overcome the 36 year old Morel obviously moved up in weight to try and land some of the big name fighters led by WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire after Mares stepped up in class and beat such worthy opponents as Yhonny Perez, Joseph Agbeko and Vic Darchinyan to win the Showtime?s four-man bantamweight tournament.
However, a possible Mares-Donaire showdown down the road has been categorized by one boxing writer as ?almost an impossible dream? given the animosity between Top Rank?s Bob Arum who promotes Donaire and Richard Schaefer and Oscar de la Hoya who promote Mares under the Golden Boy banner.
Mares did mention a possible fight against Donaire while the classy Filipino who destroyed Darchinyan and Fernando Montiel and won handsomely over Wilfredo Vazquez in his last fight always wants to fight the best as he keeps moving up in weight in his quest for a possible five world titles in five different weight divisions.
Donaire is being lined up for a July unification title fight against IBF champion Jeffrey Mathebula of South Africa or former world champion Cristian Mijares who has also moved up to the 122 weight division.
Morel, like Mares also showed at the weigh in that he too isn?t a natural super bantamweight which raises questions as to whether the winner, Mares or Morel would be able to withstand the speed and punching power of Donaire.
Morel who is nicknamed "Little Hands of Stone" which doesn?t seem to be reflective of his KO record won the flyweight title as far back as August 2000 when he beat Thailand?s Sornpichai Kratingdaenggym by a lopsided unanimous decisions.
Morel lost his title e to the then unbeaten Lorenzo Parra in December 2003, making six successful defenses of his title. After the loss to Parra, Morel moved to super flyweight, where he won a couple fights before being badly beaten by titleholder Martin Castillo in March 2005 on the Morales-Pacquiao I undercard at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Since his return to the ring after serving time for the sexual assault of a 15 year old girl Morel hasn?t lost although many ringsiders felt he was lucky to win a controversial split decision over two division champion Gerry Penalosa of the Philippines at the Las Vegas Hilton in February 2010 in a fight most observers thought he lost.
It's clear that Morel isn?t a serious challenge to Mares who is decidedly younger, quicker and stronger and a fighter that Golden Boy Promotions looks to nurture and build a record and reputation before sending him into the ring against such remarkable fighters as Ring?s pound for pound No. 4 Nonito Donaire if indeed that fight can be made.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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