Abner Mares vs Eric Morel Preview April 21st
Abner Mares will take on Eric Morel in El Paso, Texas at the Don Haskins Convention Center on April 21 for Mares’ WBC Sliver Bantamweight Championship and the vacant WBC Super Bantamweight crown. The undefeated Mares is a former IBO and IBF Bantamweight titleholder with a (23-0-1, 13KOs) record. He won the title after beating Joseph Agbeko and Vic Darchinyan in last year’s exciting bantamweight tournament that was televised by the American network Showtime.
The 26-year-old Mares of Mexico has a 68-inch reach and a 5-foot-5 inch frame. He’s an exciting fighter, but some opponents have questioned his sportsmanship by accusing him of hitting below the belt. The 37-year-old Morel will enter the ring with a record of 46-2, with 23 KOs. He hasn’t lost since back 2005, but was jailed for three years for having sex with an underage female. Morel hails from Puerto Rico, and while he’s an accomplished boxer he’s a little on the boring side.
However, he’s won his last 11 fights and these include decisions Gerry Penalosa and Heriberto Ruiz. The win over Penalosa was quite controversial and the rest of his opponents since being released from prison were quite mediocre. Morel has a slight height advantage as he stands 5-foot-6 inches and possesses a reach of 70-inches.
Top Boxing Sportsbook: 5Dimes.com
Widest Variety and Most Competitive Lines Online -> Visit Now!
Morel said he’s been waiting for another title shot and intends to take full advantage of it. Mares is attempting to add a title at another weight division, but Morel feels his experience may be the difference since Mares doesn’t have anything he’s never seen before. He said he’s in great shape, has enough power to stop Mares, and his age is nothing more than just a number.
Mares said he’s preparing for Morel the same way he does for all of his fights and his opponent’s experience and age aren’t really a factor. He said he’s fought some of the best fighters in the world in his weight classes and he expects every fight to be a tough one. He added that Morel should have a lot of incentive since he wants to regain his position as a world-class fighter and this is more or less a big comeback fight for him.
Neither fighter really possesses much power and Mares has gone the full 12 rounds in his last four bouts. He feels going the distance is a great experience, but if the opportunity for a knockout presents itself he’ll definitely take it. The fight is actually going to be fought at a 120 lb catch weight, which means Morel won’t have to try to get down to 118 lbs.
Prediction
It’s going to be another matchup of a Puerto Rican vs Mexican fighter and these can often result in fireworks. However, while Mares can produce non-stop action during his bouts morel is a pretty decent defensive fighter who rarely engages in brawls. Since neither man has exceptional knockout power, look for Mares to take this fight by a 12-round decision.
Odds
Sportsbook 5Dimes.com has the latest odds of a Mares win at -1375 with a Morel victory at +900. Visit 5Dimes.com now to bet on this fight. Use 5Dimes marketing code AF0002879 in order to receive a bonus of up to $520.
Abner Mares betting • Eric Morel betting