Bruised, bloodied and often hurt – that is how three-time world champion Erik Morales ends up at the end of his battles nowadays, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
It?s in his nature, to be a pure warrior.
Much like his arch-nemesis Marco Antonio Barrera, who has bounced up to the top time and time again after suffering defeats or after wars from which most observers thought he could not came back from, Morales has done the same… in a slightly different way.
All the wars have to take a toll, but the pride of the ”Zona Norte” de Tijuana, Erik ”El Terrible” Morales (47-2, 34 KOs) has proved time and again that he too can come back looking better than before.
Take Morales after his grueling first battle against Barrera, in which most observers thought Barrera had won the battle. Most fighters would have called it a career with a very good chance at making the hall of fame on the first ballot, having already bested Daniel Zaragoza, Jose Luis Bueno, Junior Jones, Angel Chacon, ?El Ranchero? Ramirez and Wayne McCullough up to that point.
He could have retired undefeated. Not so with Morales.
A few fights later Morales would barely squeak by Guty Espadas Jr. for the WBC Featherweight crown, and that is where the whispers started, the talk of him being at the end, looking spent after so many fights, and not helping matters was a Korean by the name of In-jin Chi who gave the Mexican all he could handle for twelve rounds in his next fight, making those whispers of Morales being a spent bullet even louder.
So what is a proud, undefeated champion to do? Jump right into the fire and face the man who had given him hell in their first meeting.
Once more Morales would meet his arch-nemesis in Barrera, and after twelve more rounds, this time the roles would be reversed with Barrera handing him his first official loss.
Having gone through two hard fights and then losing to Barrera made that talk of him being a spent bullet all the more feasible.
But once more, the warrior came out in full force to prove us wrong, and Morales would thoroughly beat up on an almost equally warrior-esque, but outgunned Paulie Ayala, a very soft touch in Eddie Croft, a ”revenge of the brother” blow out in five over Fernando ”Bobby Boy” Velardez (who had handed his younger brother a controversial loss and whose team had allegedly made disparaging remarks of Tijuana on that occasion), and then stopping Guty Espadas Jr. in three rounds.
Morales surely shut up many critics then, but just tomake sure Morales would then survive a very rocky couple of rounds vs a brave Jesus Chavez en route to a twelve round unanimous decision victory, making him the second man from Mexico to annex three world title in three different weight classes, joining the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez in the process.
And although Morales just came off that monumental achievement, whispers once again floated, as he had been severely rocked by Chavez and could not dispatch of the fellow Mexican despite Chavez having fought with only one arm from the third round on.
Morales would quiet those doubters quickly as he lifted the IBF super featherweight belt in precise and impressive fashion against the tough-as nails Carlos ?Famoso? Hernandez one fight later. A few bruises and scratches, but that is all part of his game.
So, what is a warrior to do?
Go right into the fire once more and battle Barrera a third time.
After another hellish brawl, Morales would leave his WBC title in the hands of Barrera last November via majority decision. This time his ego was surely just as bruised as his physical self.
Now, maybe, he has had enough, but don’t you tell him that, as he comes back just four months later to take on what is perceived as a monster, whirlwind fighter in the Filipino bomber Manny Pacquiao (39-2-2, 31 KOs), who is coming off an 11th round TKO of Barrera, and a heated 12 round draw against IBF/WBA Featherweight kingpin Juan Manuel Marquez, with his last bout – a mere formality against Thai fighter Fahsan (3K Battery) Por Thawatchai – who was quickly dispatched in four rounds.
Morales-Pacquiao is one match up seen largely by those in the know as an even match-up, with a slight edge favoring the fresher Pacquiao.
If there was ever a time for Morales to be at his very best, the time is now. Morales will have to time the buzz-saw attack from Pacquiao and try to catch him with his vaunted uppercuts and lead right hands, stick him with the jab and stay away from the ropes at all costs, as the Tijuana fighter has shown he is vulnerable when there. He will also need to press the issue, as Pacquiao cannot fight at all going backwards – instead the powerful southpaw speedster will instead move laterally and spring into action with his non-stop punching style – this is when Morales has to be at his best.
Morales has done it in the past, but can he do it one more time?
The stakes are high, and the winner will be in line at a crack at the WBC super featherweight belt held by Barrera.
To say that the Morales-Pacquiao?s 12 round bout for the vacant IBA 130 lb. trinket will be a hell of a fight is a gross understatement, but it will surely be nonetheless.
A hell of a fight – Morales wouldn’t have it any other way.
