On August 28th, 2010, interim WBA Light Welterweight Champion Marcos Maidana will return to the ring and take on former WBO Champion DeMarcus Corley in a scheduled 12 round bout in Maidana’s home country of Argentina. This will be Maidana’s third title defense and it will be against a seasoned and experienced, if past his prime, southpaw fighter in DeMarcus Corley.
Marcos “El Chino” Maidana
- 28-1 (27 KO’s)
- Jose Leon Suarez, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Height: 5’9”
- Reach: 70”
Last 5 Fights: Due to management problems, Maidana has not fought much recently and it’s great to see him back in the ring. His most recent fight was a 6th round KO victory over the previous undefeated Victor Manuel Cayo to retain his interim WBA light welterweight belt back in March. Maidana also has recent victories over William Gonzalez and his title victory over Victor Ortiz. Over the past few years, Maidana has really proven himself to be one of the premier knockout artists in the game.
DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley
- 37-13-1 (22 KO’s)
- Washington, DC
- Height: 5’7”
- Reach: 70”
Last 5 Fights: Although Corley has faced the likes of Zab Judah and Floyd Mayweather Jr., and has gained a great deal of experience in the ring, his last 5 fights have been less than impressive, as he’s only emerged victorious in 3 of the 5. This year, he defeated Damian Fuller by 4th rd. TKO but also lost via 5th round KO to Freddy Hernandez. Corley is still a very active fighter, but his best days were back in the early 2000’s when he held the WBO belt.
Maidana vs. Corley Preview
Due to Maidana’s status as the interim WBA Champion and the slew of potential big fights that may await him, it is easy to overlook this upcoming fight against Corley. It seems as though the boxing world really wants to see Maidana fight Amir Khan. Maidana is the mandatory challenger for Khan, so if Khan doesn’t face Maidana, he will be stripped of his belt and many feel as if Khan may be ducking Maidana due to Maidana’s power and incredible knack for scoring knockout victories.
Maidana has been out of the ring for most of 2010 due to problems with his management, and this fight is most likely looked at as a test for Maidana to work off his ring rust and gain momentum for the potential upcoming fight against Khan. This fight seems ideal for Maidana. He is fresh, well rested, has big fights on the horizon, and is facing a fighter who is most definitely past his prime and lost 2 of his last 3 fights.
However, if Maidana wants his shot against Khan, he cannot afford to overlook this fight or try to breeze through it. Corley is feeling stronger than ever, has a great deal of ring experience and is ready to “bring war to Marcos Maidana.” Corley believes that Maidana’s style is tailor made for him and feels as if he can win. Maidana must come out of the gates aggressive, use his knockout power and ability to cut off the ring in order to bring the action to his opponents, and stop Corley early and I feel as if that is exactly what Maidana will do.
Maidana vs. Corley Prediction
Maidana will not waste much time trying to feel out his opponent in the early rounds. He will press the action, cut off the angles and will look fresh and aggressive against the overmatched Corley.
Maidana by 5th round TKO
