Few people remember the last time Erik Morales was booed.
Four years ago Morales won a close decision against Guty Espadas with defensive tactics that helped win the fight, but lost fans. From there on he adapted a go-for-broke style that has endeared him to boxing fans worldwide.
Morales and his “El Terrible” form returns to the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Saturday to face yet another talented opponent in Zahir Raheem (26-1, 16 KOs) in a lightweight showdown. It’s his first boxing match at 135 pounds. If successful, the lanky Tijuana warrior will meet dangerous Manny Pacquiao in a rematch.
“I’m not thinking about any other fighter than Zahir Raheem,” said Morales (48-2, 34 KOs) during a telephone conference call. “This is going to be my first fight at 135 against a strong opponent.”
Perhaps that’s how Morales is able to perform at an intensity seldom seen in professional boxing. If any comparisons can be made, he might be likened to Sugar Ray Robinson as he rumbled through the middleweight ranks during the 1950s or Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo, who are fighting a few weeks later and whose winner may fight Morales.
Look at his resume and you’ll see world champions and other future Hall of Fame candidates like Marco Antonio Barrera, Manny Pacquiao, Paulie Ayala, Wayne McCullough and Junior Jones to name several. No easy touches for Morales.
All in all, boxing fans are lucky to be able to see Morales and company. The end may be near for the certain Hall of Fame fighter.
Since bursting on the boxing scene with his dominating victory over Daniel Zaragoza in 1997, Morales has delivered victories with different strokes like a young Steven Spielberg etching various adventure films then showing another side decades later with his epic novel portrayals. It’s been that kind of evolution for Morales.
After pounding out a brutal head-clashing victory over Korea’s In-Jin Chi, he returned to fight Barrera in a battle between a Tijuana fighter and a Mexico City fighter that might be the closest thing to a civil war. Morales had won the first fight, which ended up as the Fight of the Year in 2000.
A rematch anxiously awaited.
With memories of a slugfest that saw both Mexicans tear into each other like fighting roosters, fans were a mite disappointed when Barrera resorted to a more skillful defensive plan of darting in and out for 12 rounds. Morales and the 10,000 plus fans that night expected another brawl; they got boxing instead and Barrera was declared the victor.
Though Morales lost the battle, he won the war in terms of regaining fight fans lost a few years earlier against Espadas. They never left again.
“You know, I’m very aware of what I’ve done already, but I think I can give the fans more,” said Morales, 29. “I think people expect more out of me. They expect bigger fights, more championships, you know, do something great at 135.”
Morales engages in every fight like a brash matador daring the powerful bulls to pierce his guard. With his wide assemblage of uppercuts, counter rights and left hooks, he’s rampaged through three weight divisions, capturing numerous world titles like so many pairs of socks.
“All those different world titles don’t mean nothing,” said Morales, who values winning fans rather than collecting easy title belts.
“You don’t have that many opportunities to do something great all of the time,” Morales said. “I think winning a fourth title (in a different weight division) would be great.”
But no fighter can take too many tough fights. The human body can only endure so much punishment before it begins to break down. Sometimes slowly, sometimes quicker than you can say pugilistic dementia.
“I want to give the fans as much as I can for as long as I can,” said Morales.
Here’s an opportunity for Southern California boxing fans to see one of the greatest fighters from Mexico.
Hawaiian Punch Brian Viloria, also known as the “Hawaiian Punch”, has sought a world title match for the last several years. Now he gets a shot at WBC junior flyweight title-holder Eric Ortiz of Mexico City on Saturday at the Staples Center.
It might be a difficult match up for Viloria (17-0, 11 KOs), who has never fought at the mini flyweight level since turning professional in 2000. Another roadblock might be his mental condition. He was Ruben Contreras’ opponent a few months ago when the Mexican fighter was rushed to the hospital with blood clots in his head. Who knows what that might do to his confidence.
Viloria’s best chance may be to rush for a quick knockout. If not, the weight loss may severely hamper his ability to fight 12 rounds.
Ortiz (24-4-1, 16 KOs) just recently captured the WBC junior flyweight title by stopping Jose Antonio Aguirre in the seventh round after several knockdowns this past March. He’s a clever boxer who hits harder than he looks.
Local guys in crucial fights Former WBO light heavyweight title-holder Julio Gonzalez (38-2) travels to Great Britain to meet Clinton Woods (37-3-1) for the IBF light heavyweight title. The match takes place on Friday in Sheffield, England.
Undefeated Steve Luevano (28-0) meets Ruben Estanislao (17-8-2) in a featherweight showdown in Laughlin, Nevada on Friday. Luevano’s family lives in Ontario and Fontana. He’s one of the more underrated featherweights in the division. The fight will be televised.
Also, on the same fight card, San Bernardino’s Alex Velardez (14-1) will meet fellow San Bernardino fighter Vincent Garcia (7-2) in a welterweight showdown. Velardez, a southpaw, is the one of the fighting Velardez brothers. He’s the third oldest behind Armando Jr. and Bobby Boy.
Blue and Gold results Victor Pasillas of San Bernardino won the 80 pound intermediate title Sunday at the Blue and Gold Tournament held in Baldwin Park, California.
Riverside’s Rafael Lopez, the younger brother of professional fighter Jose Lopez, stopped his 154-pound opponent in one round. Katherine Rodriguez, who also fights out of Riverside and attends Martin Luther King High, lost a decision to Maria Rosales of Yuma, California in a 110 pound bout. Moreno Valley’s Kaliesha West captured her 115-pound weight class unopposed. She often finds it difficult to find opponents. If she moves to 112, the other girls move out. If she moves to 119, she suffers the same fate. Hopefully she’ll find it better in the national stage.
Riverside’s Michael Franco won his first pro fight two weeks ago in a thrilling four-round bout.
“People threw about $180 in the ring after the fight,” said Willie Schunke, who attended the fight near San Diego. “It was a great fight.”
Fights on television Fri. Telefutura, 9 p.m., Steve Luevano (28-0) vs. Ruben Estanislao (17-8-2) Sat. HBO, 6:45 p.m., Erik Morales (48-2) vs. Zahir Raheem (27-1); Manny Pacquiao (39-3-2) vs. Hector Velazquez (42-10-2).
