Erik Morales' gall bladder surgery could jeopardize his Jan. 28 title defense against Danny Garcia. 
Bob Arum said Julio Cesar Chavez could fight Brian Vera next, and eventually, Andre Ward.
Morales gets surgery in advance of Garcia fight
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Erik Morales underwent gall bladder surgery on Wednesday, an event would could jeopardize the scheduled HBO-televised, Jan. 28 defense of his WBC belt against Danny Garcia that is scheduled for the Reliant Arena in Houston, Texas. The 35-year-old Morales had gallstones removed. A decision on Morales' situation, which was first reported by BoxingScene.com, is expected on Monday, according to Golden Boy Promotions matchmaker Eric Gomez. "Erik came out fine. It was a minor procedure. We'll know on Monday. He wants to fight, but it's going to be up to the doctor. The doctor seems to believe that he can fight. So we won't know until Monday," said Gomez. "Erik is going to rest today, tomorrow and through Christmas over the weekend. And then, on Monday, when Erik goes back for a checkup, we'll know then." The card features RING No. 7-rated junior welterweight Morales (52-7, 36 KOs), of Mexico, opposite Garcia (22-0, 14 KOs), of Philadelphia, as well as junior middleweight Carlos Molina (19-4-2, 6 KOs) against James Kirkland (30-1, 27 KOs). Morales has won four belts over as many different weight classes, the first Mexican to do so. The 23-year-old Garcia, who is rated No. 9 by THE RING, is coming off a unanimous decision over former titleholder Kendall Holt in October. Morales is coming off September's 10th-round TKO over the previously unbeaten 21-year-old proispect, Pablo Cesar Cano, of Mexico City, to become the first Mexican fighter to win a crown in a fourth weight class. Kirkland (30-1, 27 KOs) is coming off an HBO-televised sixth-round knockout of Alfredo Angulo (20-2, 17 KOs), in Cancun, Mexico, on Nov. 5. Molina has an unbeaten streak of 11-0-1 with two knockouts that includes having sandwiched a victory over two-time welterweight beltwinner Kermit Cintron (33-5-1, 28 KOs) in July and a draw with then-unbeaten southpaw Erislandy Lara (15-1-1, 10 KOs) in March around a seventh-round stoppage of Allen Conyers in April.
Lem Satterfield can be reached at lemuel.satterfield@gmail.com |