Morales to Retire, Place Your Tributes Here.

[Carbo]

It looks like the career of a true great of the sport has finally drawn to a close. I must confess that I don't have much objectivity here, but I think we can all agree that Morales is one of he finest boxers of his generation, and I’d just like to post a ‘thanks for the memories’ kind of thread.

What made Morales my favourite fighter was the fact that despite his superior boxing abilities, he often let his machismo take control, and although he often had the technique to be able to box rings around his opponent, he would feel that was cheating the fans, and instead engaged brawlers in the trenches, giving up his natural advantages – and still won. He could box, he could brawl, he could take a punch, and, lower down the weights, he could certainly bang.

And let’s not forget his CV, which is as good as anyone’s in the modern era. Barrera three times, Paquiao three times, Zaragoza, Kevin Kelly, Junior Jones, Espadas jr, InJin Chi, Wayne McCulloch, Jesus Chavez, Carlos Hernandez, Paulie Ayala and now lightweight, Zaheer Raheem and David Diaz.

That, my friends, is what you call a career.

Good look Erik and thanks for the memories.

[Phenomenal-Nutrition]

He needs to retire, completely lose his handspeed, workrate and stamina. BUT I had him drawing or just beating Diaz. But Diaz isn't very good and makes Gatti seem like a master boxer

[Rocky Balboa]

I think Morales should retire now. It must be plain obvious to Erik that he's nowhere near the fighter/boxer he once was & never will be. I get the feeling fighters have to try to keep on boxing until they really, really know they can't cut the mustard anymore.

Erik looks to be a very worn-out fighter, & I think not having the reserves in terms of stamina, shows this. I hope he does retire now. He's no doubt a millionaire, loved in Tijuana. I'm sure he can be content with what he's achieved as a boxer. The guy's a legend. Gave us many entertaining nights!

I'll never forget the first fight with Barrera, absolutely brilliant. Morales showed what he's all about during that fight. The win over Pacquiao springs to mind aswell.

Morales' HOF is secure. Five years from now, if he does not box again, I can see him being inducted without a doubt. Three titles in 3 weight classes in some achievement.

[steve689]

I didn't see the fight but i'm not sold on Diaz. He was getting outboxed by Jose Armando Santa Cruz before he pulled a big punch out of the bag in the 10th. He isn't really going anywhere special.

[Shirow]

Yeah Morales can dine off his first fight with Barrera for the rest of his life.
A modern classic and the best fight i've ever watched live (on tv).

I reckon the fact he clearly beat a Roach trained Pacquiao in their first fight will be become more recognised in the future. Even though Pacman was more limited back then i can't imagine anyone getting closer from here unless Manny really loses focus, fights on longer than expected or moves up to Lightweight.

Erik has been great for boxing. It's a shame he couldn't go out with a win - without scoring the rounds it he felt he took it last night.

He had great boxing skills but used them only to execute a more thorough beating on his opponent and exploded into brawling whenever he got tagged. He'll be missed.

I hear that Bob Arum wants to work with him to keep a link between Top Rank and Mexican prospects so hopefully he'll be kept busy by boxing in his retirement.

[stujones]

An absolute legend... I'll never forget his fights with Barrera, his clinic vs Pacquiao 1 and another fight that often gets overlooked was his war with McCullough.

I do think Marco Antonio Barrera is the better fighter and I hope will go down in history as that little bit ahead. I'm glad Marco got the nod in the rubber match, for me it was the closest fight between the two (I scored it a draw, but thought Marco edge the 1st one and won the second decisively).

A true all time great who in his prime had a never say die attitude. He looked on the brink many times, but just hung on in there.

He SHOULD have been a four weight champion on my card, but in some ways I'm a little glad cause I don't think he deserves any historical edge over Barrera.

[SticknMove]

This fight shows a lot of what has been seen before: a classy fighter stepping up a weight too far that still held his own. But the more naturalised guy prevails because he is stronger at the weight and because his opponent is at the end of his career.

Diaz is an ordinary LW fighter, at this level. I would like to see Katsidis against him. That would be a barnstormer as long as it would last.

[chesh]

One of the best fighters of the last 20 years, there was a time (which I can't pinpoint exactly without further research) when I thought Morales was the number 1 P4P. Also, at one time, before the 2nd Pac fight, he probably had the best chin in boxing. I didn't like what I saw last night - that was only a shell of the real Erik Morales, but I still thought he won. A great warrior, a great career and, in my opinion, he would have stopped Hamed back in 2001 (when Naz opted for Barrera).

[Hardhitters11]

It's a shame he has lost so many of his recent fights and I do feel its the right time for him to retire, However he could have continued...But there is no point.

Barrera is definately the better of the two....

All in all a very good Mexican fighter....Goodluck for the future.

It would be nice for him to remain in boxing in some capacity.

HH

[Jaybee From The Castle]

Boxing has lost one of it's greats with Erik's retirement.

I can't place Barrera above him, no way, not when Morales regained Mexico's honour that Junior Jones and Manny Pac tore away from her. That, and you can make a compelling argument for Morales deserving the first fight on landed punches - there is NO argument for Barrera winning the second.

The Mcullough fight is easily the most underrated battle he fought - I'd actually say it was even more entertaining than the first fight with MAB. It was the fight that introduced me to him.

As for Hamed - yeah, he'd have KO'ed the big-eared one in '01 (or in '99 or in '97 or any year). It's exactly WHY Hamed picked Barrera - he knew what Morales would do to him.

You know guys, I think Saturday was a MORAL victory - he knocked Diaz down, and continued to have him in serious trouble, as well as having outpointed him in the eyes of many, perhaps most. Given that, and a few mil in the bank, I don't see a point to him going on.

Time to kick back in that Tijuana cantina with a Corona and a smile!!

:)


Jaybee

[Carbo]

Morales was involved in so many brilliant fights. Apart from the one sided poundings he occassionally dished out to opponents who shouldn't have been in the same country has him, he was never, ever, I seem to remember, involved in a fight where I thought "I didn't get my money's worth there".

There are plenty of TV fighters like that, but few with Morales' often sublime skill (first few rounds against Chavez and every other round against Hernandez are good examples), and supreme quality. Most with Erik's weaponry would have used it more cautiously, but he didn't and I love him for it.

[DavidPayne]

I'd have given Hamed more chance versus Morales than Barrera, with the benefit of hindsight it's easy to suggest Barrera delivered a tactical performance Morales proved unable to deliver. As someone else points out, he was to easily drawn into a slug-fest.

Hamed would, though obviously he was ill-prepared, have found a forward marching Morales easier to hit than Barrera cute performance.

We'll never know, which is a shame.

But Morales, clearly did far more, achieved far more nd fought better opponents.