By James Slater – Moments ago in Houston, Texas, Mexican legend Erik Morales and his unbeaten opponent Danny Garcia weighed-in. As has been reported by Dan Rafael of ESPN.com, 35-year-old “El Terrible” looked drawn as he approached the scale, and he then failed to make the 140-pound limit.
Morales tipped-in at 142-pounds and, according to Rafael, then “gulped down Gatorade.” For failing to make 140, Morales was stripped of his WBC belt and fined the sum of $50, 000. Garcia came in at a ready 139.5. Garcia will now be shooting to win the vacant belt..
This news will be good news for Team-Garcia. Not only is “Swift” so much the younger man at age 24, but if Morales is weight-drained at having dragged his body down as far as he could, Garcia’s speed, youth and sheer desire could prove too much for the ageing future Hall of Famer. At 22-0(14), Philadelphia’s Garcia has never met anyone as experienced, as tough and as great as Morales before (his best wins coming over good fighters Nate Campbell and, last time out, Kendall Holt; both of whom Garcia out-pointed), but if “El Terrible” is not at full strength the form book may go out of the window.
Is this fight one too many for Morales? Even if the Mexican star’s sheer savvy and ring experience is enough to overcome a man so much fresher than he is, the WBC belt will not be going home to San Ysidro with the multi-weight king.
As far as tomorrow’s co-main event of James Kirkland-Carlos Molina, Rafael reports that both junior-middleweights came in at 153.¾. Interestingly, another Mexican legend, in Jose Luis Castillo, who will face Miguel Cotto’s brother Jose, also failed to make weight today. The contracted weight for Cotto-Castillo was 145 – Castillo, who has had a long history of failing to make weight, came in at 147.7!
Will it be a bad night for two Mexican greats tomorrow night?