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Marcos Maidana gets unexpected shot at title

WBA announces this week that Maidana’s bout with Erik Morales will be for light welterweight interim crown

Marcos Maidana Workout

Justin M. Bowen

Marcos Maidana works out for the media Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Maidana will face Erik Morales in the Main Event of Saturday’s boxing card.

Marcos Maidana Workout

Marcos Maidana works out for the media Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.  Maidana will face Erik Morales in the Main Event of Saturday's boxing card. Launch slideshow »

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Marcos Maidana figured he would eventually get another chance to fight for the light welterweight (140 pounds) boxing title.

Not in his wildest dreams, however, did he expect that fight to be five months after falling in the championship by unanimous decision to Amir Khan in a slugfest at Mandalay Bay.

But in a shocking move, the World Boxing Association announced Tuesday that Maidana’s fight Saturday against veteran Erik Morales at the MGM Grand would be for the WBA interim title.

For Maidana, a 27-year-old from Argentina, the WBA’s decision came as a welcome surprise.

While interim titles are relatively common in boxing, it’s odd to select a fight days before it is scheduled to be for the title. It’s even more unusual to award an interim title when there is already a champion.

“It is the first step to become the absolute champion. Obviously, that is my ultimate goal,” Maidana said through a translator. “I want to have the chance to fight for the title again.”

Eric Gomez, the matchmaker for Golden Boy Promotions, which promotes Maidana, said the interim title would be the easiest way for his fighter to get in position for rematch with Khan.

“I can’t respond for what they are doing. I don’t represent the WBA,” Gomez said. “They made comments that it was such a good fight, that it was such a close fight, that is merits a rematch. But, obviously, they can’t force it. (Khan) is the champion. So, this is another opportunity for him to get the rematch.”

The bout with Khan was widely considered the best fight of 2011. Maidana was knocked down in the first round but rallied back to dominate the final three rounds. A combination of punches in the 10th round nearly floored Khan, and showed Maidana might have been the better fighter.

“I did start a little slow,” Maidana said. “It might have been overconfident. I had overconfidence in my ability. But that body shot I took in that first round (when he was knocked down), it did affect me. I knew I had to be careful.

“Then, after a few rounds, I knew I had to gamble, and that is exactly what I did.”

Maidana will look to continue the momentum from the end of the Khan fight against the veteran Morales.

Morales, 34, is a former three-division champion who in 2005 handed Manny Pacquiao his last defeat. While Morales is far from the same fighter that beat Pacquiao — the consensus pound-for-pound best fighter — Maidana can’t afford another loss and realized Morales is a capable opponent.

He just doesn’t expect to face the same fighter who beat Pacquiao and is considered a first-ballot boxing hall-of-famer.

“I don’t thing (Morales) can get back to that level of fighting,” Maidana said. “In this sport, the train only comes once in your career and I think (his) train left already.”

Morales (51-6) has only won three of his last seven fights, including a pair of defeats to Pacquiao in rematch bouts, and is clearly on the tail end of his career. But his experience makes him a serious threat.

"The last thing to do is review everything we worked on and put it to use the day of the fight and, of course, use my experience in the ring," Morales said last week during a conference call.

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