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If for some reason Boxing fans needed another
reason to watch the Erik Morales-Manny Pacquiao fight,
then Martin Castillo and Eric Morel may provide that
incentive. Two of the better small guys in the world
step in the ring on the Pacquiao-Morales undercard.
The veteran vs the phenom, the boxer vs the puncher,
champion vs champion. Eric Morel is the former WBA
flyweight champion, a title he defended five
times. He now moves up and looks to grab a title at
115 pounds, but in his way stands a young bull named
Martin Castillo.
Morel is one of the better known flyweights in the
world who was 32-0, before finally
losing his title to Lorenzo Parra. At present his record stands at 35-1 with
18 KOs, and this will be his third fight as a 115
pounder. He won unanimous decisions in his two
previous fights. Morel is a fun fighter to watch if
you're a fan of the art of Boxing. He's a crafty,
slick boxer, who avoids getting hit. It's likely that on
Saturday night you will see Morel trying to stay away and
trying to box Castillo from the outside. Morel, known as
"The Little Hands of Steel" was born in Puerto Rico,
but now hails from Madison, Wisconsin. He basically
came to the forefront when Ricardo "Finito" Lopez retired and he
won the WBA flyweight title, which he defended five
times before losing it to Parra. After the loss, Morel
decided to move up in weight and look for greener
pastures.
Morel may have found those pastures as he struck
a deal with Castillo to fight for the super flyweight
title on the undercard of Morales-Pacquiao. If Morel
can keep Castillo off of him, he has a chance on
Saturday night. Morel will have to utilize his skill
and speed, especially fighting at a heavier weight
class. But, then again, that is what he has always
depended on.
Martin Castillo finally broke onto the scene in
December of 2004, when he defeated Alexander Munoz for the
WBA super flyweight title. Instead of taking a light
fight in his first defense, he steps in with one the
better known flyweights in the world. Castillo has been waiting for a big fight
for a long time. He
is well known in the Southern California area as a tough, skilled action fighter
who can punch. Now his opportunity has come against a well
known flyweight on a big pay per view card. Castillo
is 27-1 with 16 KOs. His only loss came in
controversial fashion in his other title shot against
Felix Machado. The fight was stopped after six rounds
due to a cut on Castillo caused by an accidental
head butt, which took the fight to the cards where
Castillo lost. Many observers felt Castillo won, and
had the momentum his way when the fight was stopped.
Castillo is almost the opposite of Morel, he
comes forward and throws a lot of punches. He would
love to lure Morel into a brawl. Castillo will be
making the first defense of his title on Saturday
night, and what a tough first defense it is.
So, if you're planning on checking out the
Morales-Pacquiao fight on Saturday, don't forget about
Morel-Castillo also, because you might get a great 2
for 1 special.
3-17-2005
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