Earlier today, Fightnews.com was granted the opportunity to speak with one of the world’s best fighters in Erik Morales. Top Rank and Gary Shaw held a press conference outside in the pool area of the brand new and simply luxurious Wynn Resort and Casino to formally announce the rematch between Morales and Manny Pacquiao. Fightnews.com was able to briefly chat with Morales, a three-time world champion and living legend of the deep boxing heritage from Mexico. Morales candidly answered the questions and even revealed the strangest moment when one of his many fans met him. Read on.
Hey Erik. Do these countless interviews and press conferences ever get tiresome? I mean, you have to be asked the same questions over and over. Does it ever get to be annoying? (Laughs) No, no, no. It is part of my job, you know? I know that people are doing their job and there are different types of media and they ask the questions in a different way. I know they are here to do a job and this is part of my job. So no, it doesn’t get tiresome. I don’t have a problem with it; I enjoy doing it.
Is this rematch with Manny the most important fight of your career? I think that at this junction of my career, yeah. I would say so. But later on when I am done with my career, we’ll look back onto the ones that really were the most important and which ones were not. But right now, yes, it definitely is.
You have been criticized for your performance/loss to Zahir Raheem. When I watched the fight, you didn’t appear to really be into the fight and not focused. What are your thoughts on that fight looking back to it? It’s okay. I always get criticism. Even when it’s good criticism, we take it and learn from it. I think that when people criticize me, maybe they are right. I don’t know. I don’t think so.
Obviously you beat Pacquiao the first time, but in your mind, how will this rematch be different, if at all, and what have you learned about Manny? I think the first thing about the fight during the first fight was my attack. Whenever I attacked him, he went backward and he didn’t know what to do. I don’t think he’s going to learn how to do it any better than from the first time. His problem is not going forward because he is good coming forward. But his problem is going backward and that is what I will do (make him back up).
Did anything about Manny surprise you during the first fight? Was he stronger or weaker, quicker or slower than you expected? For me, the question was how strong is he? Everyone had been saying how he has been knocking all these guys out and putting them down. That was what I was looking for; to see how strong he really was. In the first round when he hit me, I figured out that this guy wasn’t really that strong and he didn’t have the kind of punch to knock me out.
After dealing with Manny through the first fight and now building up the rematch, what are your thoughts on him as a person outside the ring? It’s been the same, really. I don’t know him really that well, but I think we have treated each other very well and with respect.
You are fighting for Mexico and you have a legion of fans. How is Manny Pacquiao viewed in Mexico? Is he viewed as the ultimate enemy and do the people of Mexico rally against his name? Of course. People expect that of you. When you are fighting a guy from another country, your whole country is behind you. They expect you to give a great fight and to win, to beat this guy. That is what I am going to try to do.
You are a very popular figure in Mexico. Julio Cesar Chavez, of course, is the greatest and most popular fighter in Mexican history. How long do you think it will be until you are right alongside the great Chavez in terms of a legacy and then surpass him, if that’s even possible? Right now we are the same; we are both three-time champions and are the only ones in Mexico’s history. I am looking forward to surpassing him once I win a fourth world title.
You are loved by many people, especially in Mexico. What was the strangest or wildest thing an Erik Morales fan has ever done when he or she has met you? (Thinks and then chuckles) The strangest thing that I have ever seen was when some guy had a tattoo of myself on his arm. He had my face on his arm.
Thank you, Erik. I appreciate it. Thank you.
