By Joseph Herron: Today, it was decided by WBC Jr. Welterweight Champion Erik Morales that a fight with 140 pound contender Danny Garcia would be ill advised for a January 28th date at Reliant Arena in Houston, TX.
“The doctors recommended more rest after a gallbladder operation and I think in a fight that is so important, it is best not to give any advantage to a fighter like Danny Garcia,” explained the Mexican legend and four division world champion.
Instead of cancelling the entire fight card, current WBA Light Middleweight Champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout could step in and save the day.
Sources have stated that negotiations are currently underway to possibly salvage the Jan. 28th network date in creating a mini 154 pound tournament style dual headliner, which would include previously scheduled James Kirkland vs. Carlos Molina, and Austin “No Doubt” Trout vs. Delvin Rodriguez for the WBA Junior Middleweight Championship.
The winners of the respective bouts would be expected to face each other sometime this summer to determine the WBA Junior Middleweight Regular Champion. The winner of the four man 154 pound tourney would be in line to fight the Super WBA 154 pound champion, Miguel Cotto, who just defeated Antonio Margarito on December 3rd, at Madison Square Garden in NYC.
The co-main event would be an exciting event which would feature four of the hottest fighters in the 154 pound weight division. All four men are coming off of impressive victories and arguably their most inspired respective performances to date.
James Kirkland (30-1, 27 KOs) captured the imagination of the entire boxing world when he got up off the canvas to upset the heavily favored Mexican warrior Alfredo Angulo in six rounds on HBO this past November.
Carlos Molina (19-4-2, 6 KOs) has re-established himself as a force in the 154 pound weight division by stringing together an impressive record of 11-0-1 in his last 12 bouts, which includes a draw with contender Erislandy Lara on March 25th and a unanimous decision over former IBF Welterweight Champ Kermit Cintron on July 9th of this year.
Delvin Rodriguez (26-5-3, 14 KOs) is undefeated and has looked very impressive since moving into the competitive Junior Middleweight division. The Dominican born boxer/puncher is coming off of a terrific performance against now retired Pawel Wolak in a rematch of SI.com’s “Fight of the Year”. Featured on the Pay Per View Event “Cotto vs. Margarito: Unfinished Business”, Rodriguez battered the 154 pound contender to a unanimous decision victory, further establishing the hard punching Connecticut resident as a legitimate player in the Super Welterweight division.
Austin “No Doubt” Trout (24-0, 14 KOs) has not only established himself as the WBA Regular 154 pound champion, but also as one of the most avoided men in boxing. The New Mexico based pugilist has never lost a bout and has rarely lost a single round throughout his entire professional career. Trainers and boxing insiders alike have dubbed the 26 year old as one of the best pure boxers in the sport and a true stylistic nightmare for any fighter.
An official press release announcing the exciting January 28th event in Houston, TX, is expected to be made available next week by all parties involved.