This past Sunday night The Boxing Truth Radio welcomed legendary Mexican warrior Erik “El Terible” Morales to the show.
Morales is in preparation for a Saturday, March 27, 2010 battle against Jose Alfaro in Acapulco, Mexico.
The Boxing Truth Team of John Chavez, Michael Gonzalez, and Ricardo Lois put Morales through the passes asking him about his past and future within the sport of boxing.
RL: Terible, how does it feel getting back into the ring after nearly a three year lay-off?
EM: Very happy. I feel I have done what is necessary to rest and re-charge my battery. I am motivated to return to the ring on March 27th and put on a good show.
JC: Saturday night you will be fighting as a welterweight, what weight class do you think you will be fighting at and be most effective in for the remainder of your career?
EM: I will be fighting at 147 for my return, because I went up in weight after resting for two years. It is a first step in figuring out what weight I will be fighting at from now on.
RL: Your a legendary figure, one of the biggest names in boxing to come from Mexico, but a lot of people are questioning your return after four straight losses. Some people are concerned about your health and safety as you return to the ring.
EM: Things started going bad in 2005 and 2006, I was having a lot of problems. There were problems inside and outside of the ring and that effected me in a negative way.
I had to take a break, think about things, and find some peace. It was a long process, mentally, physically and personally with my family to return to the ring.
People must understand it is not an economic decision and it is not because I am being stubborn just to return.
I am only 33 years old and want to see where I am at, while giving the people a good show.
JC: Many Pacquiao’s last defeat was against you in March, 2005. Do you believe Pacquiao has improved that much as a fighter or do you think he is facing up against guys who are not skilled enough or hungry enough to deal with what he brings to the table?
EM: A little bit of both. He has a tough left-handed style. They also put him in with fighters he can handle. Pacquiao is not a true 147 pound fighter. I do not think he can win against the biggest and toughest in that division. His size and power is not enough to deal with real 147 pound fighters.
MG: In the following two fights against Pacquiao, in which he won, did he get better or did your body not respond?
EM: It was a bad decision on my part to take the fights at 130 pounds. It took a lot of effort on my part to make weight for the second fight with Pacquiao. It was a bad decision, but that is history.
RL: Along with Marco Antonio Barrera, Naseem Hamed, and a few others, you really brought the lower weight classes in boxing to the American public’s attention. Would you ever be interested in fighting Barrera for a fourth time? There are people who would watch you guys fight in your 40s, 50s, or even 60s.
EM: I do not think so. First of all, Barrera is retired. Secondly, I do not think he would go up above 135 pounds.
JC: How many more times do you see yourself fighting in 2010 as you hunt a world title?
EM: I am going to take things calmly. Lets see how I do this next March 27th. We will see if the people want to see more of me, or if I want to continue on. This is just a test. ***
Erik Morales’ return will be carried in the United States by Integrated Sports. Visit their website, or call your local cable or satellite provider for more information.
The Boxing Truth can be heard live every Sunday at 6 PM Pacific Standard Time, 9 PM Eastern Standard Time, 2 AM Monday United Kingdom Time, 10 AM Monday Philippines Time, and 1 PM Monday Australian Time at www.theboxingtruth.com.
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