Rumors have been swirling this afternoon that the Erik Morales vs. Lucas Matthysse fight is off. Word is that Matthysse has withdrawn from the fight as the result of some kind of illness or infection.
It might have been the sick feeling in his stomach that he got when he realized he wasn’t finally getting a fight against a big name in neutral territory, and instead was facing a Mexican legend on Mexican Indepedence Day weekend, in Las Vegas. He didn’t get a fair shake in Newark, NJ against Zab Judah, or in Devon Alexander’s backyard, and this fight could have gone the same way.
Of course, one would have to assume that his withdrawal from the fight is for legitimate reasons. However, it’s a major blow to the Star Power PPV fight card. Morales vs. Matthysse (absurdly for the WBC junior welterweight title) was an intriguing bout, and a superior one to the initially proposed Morales vs. Jorge Barrios bout.
Now, with just over a week’s notice, a new opponent for Morales has to be found, and ostensibly one to allow him to compete for that bogus championship belt, however ridiculous that belt is to begin with. One wonders whether one of the two 140 lb fighters from another fight on the card, the Josesito Lopez vs. Jessie Vargas match, will get the call up to face Morales. If not, it’s going to be a scramble to find a halfway decent opponent on short notice.
Considering that the powers that be are attempting to charge as much as $69.95 for the HD feed of the Mayweather-Ortiz Star Power PPV, there better be a good solution and fast.
