After witnessing DeMarco's impressive and strong TKO victory over Linares, can only make one wonder whats next for him in the lightweight division. Coming from behind on the cards and breaking Linares down, gave me a flashback of Cotto/Margarito...and what could possibly happen again on Dec. 3rd.

Now that DeMarco is the champ, he is sure to take a step up in competition down the line (not that Linares wasn't). Linares would've had a chance if he had more power, because hand speed and defense wasn't a problem for him until his face gave in and DeMarco succeeded at walking him down all night. Just wanted to know everybody's take on DeMarco and his chances with other fighters in the division.

DeMarco has a huge upside in the lightweight division. His win over Linares was huge and impressive. He has lots of options. He a very exciting fighter. A fight with either Bam Bam Rios which would be a barnburner or a fight with Robert Guerrero would be great. I'm glad he put his loss to Valero behind him and grew from it because he took a beating in that one. I love Demarco's style and he has some good optione coming his way.

I agree! I now consider DeMarco, the Margarito of the lightweight division. He has that stalking/pressure fighting style, but with more power...but he doesn't punch as much a Margarito. I swear I was watching Cotto/Margarito on Saturday night...especially when Linares was getting broken down. He didn't take as much punishment as Cotto, but those last two rounds were a nightmare for him, and body language gave that away.

Bam Bam wouldn't be a bad choice, at least he punch worth a damn, unlike Linares. I swear those are the scariest fights, when I a guy with skills minus punching power, are in the ring with guys who take punches for practice and walk you down. I hear that Morales wants a piece of him now, but a Guerrero fight would be nice as well. Hell, a Maidana fight would be a barn burner! Like you said, that Valero loss did wonders for him, lol...sometimes a good ass-whoopin' does pay off.

morales

i'd love to see a rematch between demarco and linares. i think the stoppage was justified...but i also believe linares' prep for this fight wasn't good. he went from l.a. to colorado springs to train with the olympic team...then flew all the way to the philippines to spar pac then back to l.a. all that traveling cannot be good...plus i'm not sure sparring pac benefitted him in any way. his opponent was tall and threw looping punches...pac is short...throws in spurts. it was a great fight that i had linares winning down the stretch. demarco's corner called it when they told him he needed the ko to win.

That one would be nasty!

Yeah it was a good stoppage because that cut over his right eye just said "fuck it" and opened up more. It wouldn't have gone to the 12th round anyhow because of the cut, but Linares would've walked away with it, had it gone to the cards before the start of the 12th. This fight just has rematch written all over it, though Linares may be on the short end of the stick again. He totally abandoned his jab after the first half of the fight.

If there is no Juan Manuel Marquez in the lightweight division then I think one can argue that Brandon Rios is the man to beat at 135. Linares and Demarco would get worn out by the 8th round in a fight with Rios. Brandon is too big for these guys. I see Rios as a bully at 135.

You're right, Rios is a bully at lightweight...I would just like for him to work on his technique a bit more. That all-out slugging in gonna catch up with him sooner than later.

I want to see a rematch. Realistically, DeMarco was being dominated in that fight. He lost 9 of the 10 rounds, and was outlanded in every round. Linares is still a better fighter, and he would beat DeMarco in a rematch. DeMarco didn't let his hands go in, and Linares had too much speed for him. Linares simply couldn't see because of all the blood on his face, and DeMarco (to his credit) let those hands go and got him out of there. It was a great fight, but I'd love to see a rematch.

I agree, rematch!!! This was a great fight, but wth was roach doing in the corner? And did he even have a cut man?

Yeah that was a rematch-worthy bout! From my observation...Roach and Ariza trains Linares now. There was a cutman in the corner giving his best efforts for a nasty situation, but to avail were his works any good. Those were some nasty cuts that I dont believe anybody could've managed in that amount of time.

I personally don't want to see a rematch. At least not an immediate rematch. I felt DeMarco could have got him out of there sooner had he started letting his hands go.

DeMarco sure earned his title the hard way and i'm very proud of him. There is some tough fighters like Katsidis, Antillon and Acosta at 135 still and I can see him doing well vs all of them. Marquez and Rios would be a little too much to handle but they have moved on to bigger things. Also Guerrero and Soto have stepped up to 140. DeMarco Morales sure sounds good to me.

DeMarco's height and power is hell in a handbasket for anybody that steps up to fight him. He doesn't throw enough punches in my opinion, but when he does, he gets his point across. That shit reminded me so much of Cotto/Margarito, when Cotto was boxing nice and landing clean effective punches throughout the first half of the fight (though he was getting also), then the 2nd half of the fight was nightmare because he couldn't hurt Margarito and just got walked down...and folded mentally.

Linares could've won this by boxing, or at least by getting through the end of the 11th round because the fight was gonna get stopped on that cut, regardless. I dont see how Linares was gonna avoid DeMarco all night, but all of the factors and potential endings have "rematch" written all over it.

Those cuts were pretty nasty, but I meant why wasn't roach telling Linares to get on his bike? The fight was in the bag.

I agree Linares could have won if he hopped on his bicycle for the last 2 rounds. In seemed in DeMarco's mind, he felt he was winning the fight. Very wise of his corner to tell him like it is and go for the knock out. I understand why there should or could be a rematch but I personally like to see these fighters in with different opposition. Maybe I would lean more towards a rematch if the cuts were accidental but they weren't. Linares put himself in that situation and was not responding to DeMarco's pressure or punches well enough to give the referee the impression that he was able to continue