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July 2001
Each month we bring you a selection of articles from the current and past issues of BOXING MONTHLY. To buy the magazine, see our subscription or back issues pages, or use our world distribution map to find a news-stand copy. Why not use our Interactive Forum to express your own boxing comments and opinions!
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DON'T DISCOUNT EL TERRIBLE Close calls such as the one against Marco Antonio Barrera have led some to question Erik Morales as one of the world's very best. But, as he tells JAMES BLEARS, it would be a big mistake to write him off |
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Erik Morales
- Get Big Pic The nickname "Terrible" in boxing seems to have been a mixed blessing for those who adopted it. Back in the 19th century, "Terrible" Terry McGovern was a world champion for a while, but then came badly unstuck following a pre-fight name-calling incident. More recently there has been "Terrible" Tim Witherspoon, who dished it out to Frank Bruno and then got well and truly marooned in the doldrums via a long dispute with Don King, and "Terrible" Terry Norris, who blazed through an explosive, controversial and eventful career. The latest fighter to inherit the nom de guerre is Mexico's WBC featherweight champ Erik Morales. His last two fights - against compatriots Marco Antonio Barrera and Guty Espadas - have produced more questions than answers. Morales recently competed in the first ever Mexican version of Superstars, and turned in a rather modest performance, apart from a second place in the mountain-bike contest. Boxing Monthly was on hand to ask Morales if he is flattering to deceive or whether there is more Mexican magic still to come. BM: Tell us about your upcoming fight with your top contender, South Korean Injin Chi (previewed with the rest of the big Los Angeles show on pages 24-27). EM: Although the fight isn't until July, I'm already starting my training in good time, and I've started a promotional tour with Roy Jones that's already taken in several cities in the US, and it'll be coming to Mexico. To be honest, I don't really know very much about my opponent. But I do know that Koreans and Asiatic fighters tend to be tough, hard-hitting and pretty resistant. For that very reason, I'm preparing very well, and I'm going to be in great shape for this fight to do everything possible to win, and to win in style. BM: Where are you going to do your altitude training? EM: I'm going to go to the Otomi Ceremonial Centre, which is more than 1,000 metres higher than Mexico City, which itself is 3,000 metres above sea level. It's very beautiful and has absolutely nothing in the way of distractions, so it's great to put in some really hard work. In the past, things didn't go too well in Big Bear and Las Vegas. So it's the Otomi and I'm going to be training there for two months. We had some problems with Guty Espadas and Marco Antonio Barrera, and I've noticed something of a difference in people who've been doubting me, and they are going to see a change. BM: What's your assessment of the recent fight between Barrera and Naseem Hamed? EM: It was an excellent fight that rightly gained a lot of attention in all the right places for Barrera. He worked hard, fought well and got a good result for which I congratulate him. Yet there are still differences of opinion between him and me about the fight we had. BM: A lot of fans and boxing experts are clamouring to see a rematch between Barrera and yourself because, in spite of the controversy, the last one was absolutely fantastic. EM: Oh yes, we're going to get back in the ring and fight again without doubt, possibly this coming September. It'll be another great fight, which I'll come to in optimum condition at featherweight, and promise to fight with more power and there will be a bit of difference from the last fight because of this. After the fight against the Korean, I'll take about a week off, and then I'll get right back into training to prepare for another meeting with Barrera. I went up to featherweight, due to problems of maintaining the super-bantamweight limit. The featherweight division is very high quality with a lot of superb fighters people want to see. And, little by little, I'm getting better in it. BM: You are undefeated in your career. Does this put any pressure on you, and have you spoken to light-flyweight world champion and fellow countryman Ricardo Lopez about this? He's now been undefeated for more than 16 years, a feat in the Guinness Book of Records. EM: I never really think about this. I train for every fight with the object of winning. What is more important is to put on a spectacular show for my fans, and to have the heart to win, but also to lose with dignity. This is a really important fact and philosophy independent of just winning. I've never spoken to Ricardo about this topic, it's an aspect of my life that I deal with and I feel happy with my work. BM: What's your opinion of Barrera? There doesn't appear to be a lot of love lost between you at the moment. EM: He certainly loves publicity and hearing from people how good he is, but I also think people respect dedication. With those qualities, it's not necessary to pressure or shout out who's good or no good. BM: You obviously feel quite a bit more comfortable at the featherweight limit, but has your knockout punch travelled with you to this higher division? EM: I've certainly got the height and build as a featherweight. I know quite a lot of boxers who are lightweights, super lightweights and even welterweights who are smaller. I'm working at this step by step to make sure I don't get hit and hurt, because it's logical that it's harder in a higher division. But I do believe in myself and I'm still up here. BM: Could there be the prospect of a fight for you against Naseem Hamed in the future? Even in England? EM: This depends more on my promoters than me. The prospect of a fight against Naseem is the same as another. It's really what the fans want to see. Frankly, I've got absolutely no problems. I'm affiliated to Top Rank, which assists me a lot. I've never had a problem in going to the turf of an enemy, but they would probably work to find the best opportunity for me on this side of the Atlantic. BM: What's your opinion of Naseem? EM: Naseem is a good fighter who hits hard. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the exact requirements or a standard technique that can be easily defined. He's fought against quite good opponents. But everyone has their time. Mexico has got a great quantity, quality and variety of quality boxers at this weight and some others. There are young fighters coming up all the time, always enough for great boxing business. This is often not the case in some other countries. We are blessed in Mexico with an abundance of boxing talent and a constant hunger for boxing. BM: What's the future for you? Featherweight unification fights? EM: My ambition is to be involved in the best possible fights, ones against the best quality rivals that the public will savour. Also to continue for as long as possible. BM: Who were your childhood idols? EM: The ones I particularly admired were Tommy Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard. I admired their speed but also their position and balance in throwing powerful punches. Plus their patience, ability to attack but also to control fights, which is always so crucially important. BM: Tell us about your younger brother Diego, who's also a very talented boxer. EM: I'm 24 years old and Diego is 21. He was the World Boxing Organisation's super-flyweight champion. He's gone back to bantamweight and he's now the World Boxing Council's junior champion. We are helping him to be a more complete boxer, and he's got time to improve even more. But we don't spar together. BM: Although you are still a young boxer yourself, have you thought what you would like to do after you retire? EM: I would very much like to be a boxing promoter to help boxers with their careers and children starting the sport. I would like to be a trainer and a promoter. BM: So many people want to see you and Barrera fight again. Will you be using different tactics next time? EM: It's going to be a totally different fight. I don't think this next one is going to be difficult to win, and I will win it. He has his good points, like I have mine, but I'm going to put on a spectacular [performance]. For everyone it will be clear cut. Concerning the last fight, many people don't know how a round is actually scored. He'd like to believe he won, but he knows he lost. I'll be waiting for him. We are going to fight again and I'm waiting to complete my game plan. I'll be good and ready. |
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