IF PACQUIAO-MOSLEY IS BAD, MARQUEZ-MORALES IS WORSE

As soon as the Pacquiao-Mosley fight was announced, many postings immediately started to pop-out calling it among others, a “terrible fight”. Pacquiao they said is fighting an old washed-out fighter who is well past his prime. In fact, even the guys that set the odds don’t see it as a close contest. They are calling it a 9-1 fight in favor of Pacquiao.



Well now that Marquez seem poised to duke it out with Eric Morales in April 2011, where are all those who lambasted Pacquiao for his choice of opponent?

These people put Pacquiao in the cooker soon as the announcement was made but would not touch Marquez’ choice of opponent as quickly.

Double standards?

From this writer’s point of view, the Marquez-Morales fight is far worse than the one involving Pacquiao and Mosley. The Marquez nut-huggers that accused Pacquiao of just out to make money on an “easy fight” must now be eating crow. After all, what do you think is the Marquez-Morales fight all about?

Morales last fought a decent fight in April of year 2007. The fight was against David Diaz and he lost via a unanimous decision. Yes, the same Diaz who got sent to the deck by Manny Pacquiao and later asked the scribes in the post fight presscon if anyone “got the number of the truck that run him down”. Pacquiao then fought as a lightweight.

After three years of absence, Morales staged a come back after losing 4 fights in a row, two against Pacquiao and one each against Raheem and Diaz and won non-descript fights against people like Jose Alfaro, Willie Limond, and Francisco Lorenzo.

No disrespect to those three, but none of those guys can come close to what Mosley have achieved that made him a worthy opponent for Pacquiao, his last two fights not-withstanding.

In fact, Morales’ last two fights (against Limond and Lorenzo) were so unremarkable that WBC had to create a special “Silver Belt” just to give the fights some sort of credibility and attract the attention of the fans. The promoters knew it too. That is why they held the fights in Mexico and not in the US. They may have surmised that Morales will no longer pull in enough US-based crowds thus its far better to have it in Mexico.

I say that if Pacquiao is guilty of “just out to make money with Mosley”, Marquez is guilty as well with a fight with a washed –out Morales. Perhaps even more so.

And, a fight with Morales is not exactly what Marquez needs to advance his challenge to Manny Pacquiao.

Truth be told, if Marquez really wanted to show the world that he is a worthy challenger to Manny Pacquiao and merits a second look after Pacquiao’s fight with Mosley, he should have picked Andre Berto or at the very least wait for the winner between Bradley and Alexander.

A victory over Berto, Bradley or Alexander, who are in their prime, would have added a tremendous boast on Marquez’ challenge against Pacquiao in 2011 particularly if he scores a compelling win over any of the three. Those guys are amongst the top guys in the 140-145 division.

But a fight with Morales? It’s nothing but a possible added “retirement fund” for both Marquez and Morales.

Sadly however, it may not generate enough to give both men a nice retirement. Marquez as we all know does not draw big. In his last fight with Michael Katsidis he drew less than 5000. And, who would like to see an old Eric Morales who is already “round in the middle” and visibly bogged down by the many wars he has gone through.

A Marquez-Morales fight has no attraction other than generating a subtle interest among Mexican fans wishing to see Morales win his fourth world title in as many divisions, something no Mexican has ever achieved.

A Marquez-Morales may not attract HBO enough for them to make it a PPV, that is if they would even pick up the fight.

Even if Marquez decisively beats Morales, it would mean nothing to his chances to get a mega bucks fight against Pacquiao anytime soon.

-philboxing.com