| 09 April 2011
Things haven't gone quite according to plan during the Action Heroes pay-per-view - just ask James Kirkland - but the night has been entertaining so far. We're getting ready for the main event from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, which pits Marcos Maidana against Erik Morales.
Jim Lampley and Max Kellerman are calling the action, discussing how Morales believes he sees something in Maidana he can take advantage of even though El Terrible's best years would seem to be behind him. Morales is 3-0 since he made his comeback last year, but this will certainly be a much stiffer test.
Michael Buffer starts things off with a memorial ten count for the late Gil Clancy. We've got three national anthems to hear before we get to the ring walks.
The tale of the tape shows Maidana is seven years younger, but the men are basically even in all of the physical characteristics.
Maidana comes to the ring first. The big puncher from Argentina is 29-2 with 27 KOs, and though he comes in off a loss, he gave Amir Khan some nervous moments in the closing moments of that bout.
Morales seems to have plenty of crowd support as he makes his way to the ring. The Mexican legend is 51-6 with 35 knockouts, and he is 3-0 with one knockout since his comeback from a 31-month layoff.
Michael Buffer does the fighter introductions as you would expect, and Tony Weeks is the referee in charge of the action. We're ready for a scheduled 12 rounds of action for an interim WBA belt.
Round 1
Maidana comes out swinging while Morales stays patient. Maidana clubs away with the left hand, then tries to rough Morales up along the ropes. Huge swing and miss by Maidana. Morales tries some jabs and has to watch out for a left hook coming back. Morales blocks some punches but gets hit by a left hook on the inside. Morales tries to time Maidana between punches. An exchange breaks out along the ropes with Maidana scoring with more punches. One-two by Morales and an uppercut as he tries to keep the younger man off him.
Tylwalk: 10-9 Maidana
Round 2
Morales already has some swelling near his right eye, perhaps from an uppercut that landed in Round 1. Maidana comes out with head and body shots. Morales gets punished while being held and hit. Maidana tries to uncork the hooks and uppercuts. Morales settles down and tries some right hands. Morales covers up as Maidana tries a big right hand. Both men try to dig to the body in close. Maidana pounds away along the ropes, sneaking in a right hook as Morales fights his way out. Morales lands a nice right hand that gets the crowd into it. Maidana resumes his attack by smothering the older fighter along the ropes.
Tylwalk: 10-9 Maidana
Round 3
Morales measures some two-punch combos as Maidana responds with a left hook. Morales picks away with three shots from range. Maidana clubs his way in and gets tied up. Brute force is on display as Maidana gets inside again. Morales lands a combo but Maidana walsk through and scores with an uppercut. Morales feints to set up shots. He turns his man around but can't corner him. Maidana swings wildly as Morales backs away.
Tylwalk: 10-9 Maidana
Round 4
Harold Lederman gave Round 3 to Morales, and he opens up with an early left hook. His right eye is a mess but it looks like he can still see out of it. Morales tries uppercuts and a hook to battle off the ropes. They get locked up and Weeks has to break them up. Maidana is trying his best to do work on the inside. Both men come perilously close to hitting off the break. Morales lands a right while backing up. Stiff jabs both ways and a nice Morales counter amidst another Maidana rush. Kind of an ugly round, but I liked the veteran's ring generalship there.
Tylwalk: 10-9 Morales
Round 5
Maidana bulls his way forward immediately in this frame, but Morales wins the exchange and backs his man up. Morales measure his man in the middle of the ring as the fans cheer. Maidana clubs down with a left hand. They get tangled up and Weeks steps in again. A "Mexico" chant breaks out while Morales lands a straight right. Maidana hits during the break and is sternly lectured by Weeks. Morales digs in and lands several nasty straight shots. Maidana keeps coming as he is known to do. Maidana controls the final 10 seconds, but that was an El Terrible round.
Tylwalk: 10-9 Morales
Round 6
Morales does some of his best work with his back to the ropes. Maidana has more success with his rough stuff in the opening minute. Morales is more accurate though. He delivers a two-punch combo while backing up. Very low shot by Maidana as they lean on each other. Morales is able to take a step back and counter pretty often. Erik jabs away as he circles. Nice right by Maidana and some clubbing follow-up blows. They go to war with 10 seconds to go. Crazy action just like we hoped.
Tylwalk: 10-9 Morales
Round 7
Maidana comes forward quickly, landing hooks and body shots. Morales dodges hooks and they fight in close. Weeks has to step in again. Good counter shots by Morales but a big left knocks him back. Morales tries jabs and gets whacked by some body shots. More nice body work by Maidana but Morales responds with a combo. Morales chases Maidana back into a corner and bombs are landing both ways. They trade all the way to the bell.
Tylwalk: 10-9 Maidana
Round 8
Big left hook by Morales wobbles Maidana. That may have been the best punch of the fight. They stand and trade in the center of the ring. Maidana loads up a big right hand. Marcos bulls Erik to the ropes and leans on him. Stiff uppercut by Morales but Maidana stands in. There's a right by Maidana but Morales responds with an uppercut and a hook. Maidana clubs his way forward again and misses a huge right before the bell.
Tylwalk: 10-9 Morales
Round 9
Maidana looks more tired than Morales but he wills himself forward and batters Morales with about a dozen shots. Morales stands in and starts firing back. Could Marcos have punches himself out with that early burst? Maidana lands to the body and Morales respoinds to the head. There's a brief lull as they get tied up along the ropes. Morales chases for a second and then has to cover up. Maidana goes back on the attack, landing a hook but eating an uppercut.
Tylwalk: 10-9 Maidana
Round 10
Morales takes the lead early, but Maidana chases him back. Left hook by Maidana brings a combination back from Morales. Nice hook by El Terrible. Jab and uppercut by Morales and some good work on the inside. Morales lands more good hooks that force Maidana to stop advancing. Maidana swings wildly, mostly coming up with air. Morales goes to town with Maidana backed up. Marcos loads up some hooks and connects with two in a row.
Tylwalk: 10-9 Morales
Round 11
I can't believe I'm typing this, but this fight should be up for grabs in the championship rounds. Maidana steps up the activity early after some big shots at the end of Round 10. The crowd tries to will Morales on. Maidana lands two huge left hooks and Morales says bring it on. Now both men are waving each other in. Maidana tries uppercuts with Morales backed into the ropes. Maidana keeps coming forward, and Morales has not found the space he needs for most of this frame. Both men duck and try to find some openings.
Tylwalk: 10-9 Maidana
Round 12
This fight did not disappoint as we go to the final round. Maidana clubs Morales with hooks from both hands. Morales steps in and tries to wing uppercuts. Both men swinging for the fences. Maidana is relentless, peppering the old man. Now Morales fires a big right hand. Left hook by Maidana but the counter by Morales is sweet. Maidana lands a series of hooks that force Morales back. How can either man have anything left? Big left hook by Maidana and a right hand.
Tylwalk: 10-9 Maidana
Tylwalk: 116-112 Maidana
The judges score it 114-114 and 116-112 twice, to the winner by majority decision, Marcos Maidana.
Kellerman gets some time with Maidana who says he trained to win. He also says Morales can keep fighting because he is still a strong and great fighter.
Maidana does think he won the fight because of the way he won early rounds and pushed it at the end. He says Morales gave him trouble with his technique and his quickness.
Turning to Morales, Kellerman says he is still a great champion. El Terrible thanks the fans and says he fights for them, especially the people of Tijuana. He says Maidana might have won a close fight, but not cleanly.
Morales thinks he is better than Maidana and wants a rematch. Marcos says the rematch can happen any time, even tomorrow.
