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Erik ‘El Terrible’ Morales, 48-4 (34), is a first ballot hall of famer. He has given us fans a multitude of entertaining fights, and at 29 is still young. On Saturday night he was comprehensively beaten by Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao, 41-3-2 (33), via tenth round technical knockout. Before Saturday’s fight Morales had never been stopped, and besides a loss to Zahir Raheem, had never lost to a fighter with a name that wasn’t Marco Antonio Barrera. On Saturday, however, he moved to 1-3 in his last four fights. Now given his age it is hard to say that Morales career might be over, but given his career he might be older then his years.
Morales has spent the last three years fighting elite fighters, many of these fights have been grueling and punishing affairs. His brief move to 135 also proved to be one weight division too high for the Tijuana native, who lacked the power and speed to beat Zahir Raheem. Raheem comprehensively out boxed, and at times out slugged Morales. It was with this loss in mind that he went on to fight Manny Pacquiao in a rematch of their 2005 fight of the year runner up. Something had changed in Manny though, slight improvements here, an extra punch being thrown there and a body attack that had been virtually absent in their first fight. It was with all this that Manny bludgeoned, battered and beat Morales into submission. Seeing Erik Morales on the canvas was something that we, as fans, had never expected to see. It came as quite a shock to me that El Terrible would not make it to the final bell, but maybe his three wars with Barrera have done more damage then we know, maybe his first fight with Pacquiao took another few years of his career, and maybe the move to 135 made him just too big to get back down to 130.
Erik Morales has very few options at 130, his only real option is a rematch with Pacquiao but after Saturday’s fight I find it hard to believe he will be clamoring for that opportunity anytime soon. The other option for Morales is a move up to 135, but as we saw against Raheem he does lack both power and speed at that weight. If Morales does wish to continue his career, 135 is the most logical place for him to go however, where he can secure fights with Diego Corrales, Juan or Julio Diaz and Joel Casamayor. All of these would be entertaining fights, and some of them are fights he could win.
Regardless of if he continues to fight or not, Morales will go down as one of the greatest fighters to ever lace up a pair of gloves. If he fights Pacquiao a third time all it does is solidify his standing as one of the most courageous warriors in boxing, and if he decides to hang up his gloves and call it a day he can retire knowing that he as a hero to his countrymen and respected by fans and fighters everywhere.
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© Copyright / All Rights reserved: Doghouse Boxing 1998-2006
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By Julian Kasdin (January 24, 2006) 
