Does DeMarcus Corley Pose a Problem for Marcos Maidana?
Interim WBA junior welterweight champion Marcos Maidana had hoped to be facing one of the top junior welterweights in boxing this summer. He pulled out of two dates against WBO champion Timothy Bradley because of what he first claimed was back problems but later turned out to be a dispute with his management team. He had targeted a fight against Amir Khan to unify the WBA title but any hope of that happening fell through when Khan decided to postpone his next bout until after Ramadan later this fall.
Left without a major fight for this summer, Maidana was forced to take a “keep busy” opponent to help him stay sharp and in the public eye. That opponent is a name familiar to many boxing fans: DeMarcus Corley. The former WBO junior welterweight champion will get one more title shot when he takes on Maidana (28-1, 27 KOs) on August 28 in front of a pro-Maidana crowd in his hometown of Buenos Aires.
At first glance, it doesn’t appear that Corley (37-13-1, 22 KOs) stands much of a chance against Maidana. Corley is more than eight years removed from his world title and it has been several years since he’s been any sort of factor within the division. His fourth-round stoppage of Damian Fuller on July 10 was his first win in his last three fights; he was knocked out in the fifth round by Freddy Hernandez in February and lost a split decision to Fariz Kazimov last November.
Now 36, Corley is far from his prime. His last major fight was in 2006, when he dropped a unanimous decision to Junior Witter for the vacant WBC junior welterweight title. Corley has lost nine times since then as the defeat to Witter started a streak of six consecutive defeats to drop him squarely to the journeyman status. His main role in recent years has been to serve as a “name” opponent for up-and-coming fighters to add to their resume. He’s served as an “opponent” for Devon Alexander, Randall Bailey and Kazimov in recent years.
It’s generally assumed that Corley is simply fighting for a pay cheque at this point in his career. He is responsible for the care of 14 children, including seven of his own and seven belonging to his dead brother. This explains why Corley is continuing to fight but doesn’t go very far in explaining why he is getting one more shot at a title by fighting Maidana.
Many boxing fans are pointing to this bout as an example of why the sport is suffering. Maidana is one of the most exciting fighters in the division of not in all of boxing and many fans feel that the fact that he is fighting a washed-up ex-champion like Corley reflects much of what is wrong with the sport. Instead of giving fans great fights within the division, promoters and managers are content to have champions fight weak talent.
The ironic part is that by selecting Corley, Maidana’s promoters might have gotten more than just a “washed-up” opponent. While Corley isn’t nearly as quick or active as he once was, he still carries some power. With Maidana, he’ll likely find an opponent who will stand in front of him and give him an easy target to find. Corley’s diminishing skills have weakened his defence, but Maidana has never been much concerned with defence throughout his career.
It’s almost impossible to imagine that Corley can pull off the huge upset against Maidana. But with Maidana’s style and Corley’s power, it’s not unreasonable to think that Corley could enjoy a few moments of success. Maidana should win by knockout, but Corley might give him something to remember before it’s over.
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