Morales a source of dependency for boxing

Morales provides boxing a source of dependency

Mark E. Ortega

Leave-it-in-the-ring.com

April 12, 2011

It was a fight that, once over, rendered the official verdict meaningless if you were fortunate enough to catch the action and see it for what it was. Sure, ten years down the line, someone who may not know any better might check out Boxrec, see “Marcos Maidana MD12 Erik Morales,” and think nothing of it, but to those lucky enough to count themselves as one of the more than 7,000 in attendance or one of the few hundred thousand that tuned in live, it was an epic night in the storied career of one of boxing's great warriors.

It's entirely possible that Marcos Maidana may never reach the elite level of the sport, but that won't diminish what Morales was able to do against him at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas this past weekend.

What Morales accomplished was something that Victor Ortiz was unable to do and Amir Khan was unwilling to—stand and trade with Marcos Maidana and make it to the final bell without so much as being staggered. Both Ortiz and Khan will fight in separate bouts this coming Saturday on HBO, and between the two of them they don't quite possess the heart and fighting spirit that has garnered “El Terrible” an abundance of support over a professional career that has spanned 17 years.

It's a major reason why when Morales returned to Las Vegas for the first time in nearly five years, he saw a turnout of fans comparable to that in his prime.

Those same fans can be given some of the credit for pushing Morales through the twelve round Fight of the Year candidate with Maidana. The fight felt a bit like a soccer event, and Morales was most definitely inspired by the chants of “Mo-ra-LES” throughout the bout, as well as the raucous cheers every time he landed so much as a stiff jab.

It's also a reason why Morales started off as a huge underdog, about six to one, and by fight time he was bet down closer to three to one. It wasn't because those fans had any particular information that would force them to believe he could turn back the clock against the hardest hitting puncher in a division that he probably didn't belong in, but mostly because of the wars and fighting spirit Morales had displayed throughout an illustrious career that until recently had seen him take on mainly elite competition. As the HBO commentating team of Jim Lampley and Max Kellerman pointed out, it wasn't smart money coming in on Morales but “sentimental money.”

Fighters like Morales are not made, they are born. The son of a fighter who picked up a pair of gloves at age five and early in his pro career beat up men twice his age while in his teens, Morales will no doubt be inducted into the Hall of Fame when he decides to hang them up.

His pride is, without question, unmatched by any active fighter. Just a minute or so into the first round, a Maidana uppercut clipped Erik's left eye and left it utterly useless for the remaining eleven and a half stanzas. Did you see Erik Morales walk to the corner or look to the referee to save the day like Devon Alexander did earlier this year, even for a second? When Maidana used his head, hit Morales on the break or after the bell, did Morales complain to the referee? Not once.

It's no surprise that this is the kind of fighter that hooks fans on the sweet science for good. Early in my casual viewing of the sport, any wavering I had about it being something I would follow closely went out the window when it was an Erik Morales fight. It's part of the reason why last Saturday's scrap became the first major fight I chose to cover in 2011, driving ten hours from Northern California to see a bout that a majority of well versed boxing pundits figured would be over inside of a few rounds.

For the first round and a half, Lampley and Kellerman lamented that Morales was definitely worn, that he didn't possess the same tools he had in his prime, nor was he in a fight where he had any physical advantages. They questioned what Morales could possibly do to keep the relentless Argentinian from pressing forward.

It came midway through the second round when Morales landed a right hand that moved Maidana backwards, something which even the Morales backed prognosticators thought would happen in a fight which they thought he may win. That Morales was able to move Maidana more than a dozen times in the bout was shocking, perhaps even more than the result from the James Kirkland-Nobuhiro Ishida fight. Suddenly, the HBO crew sounded like their hearts were with the sentimental money.

Which isn't far from logical. Regardless of what any boxing personality will tell you, it's hard not to develop any personal attachment to a certain fighter or fight if you derive any enjoyment from watching it. Trust me; somehow, not everyone with a job covering or calling a fight does.

Jim Lampley has called Morales fights since 1997 when he first burst onto the national scene with an eleventh round knockout of the, as Kellerman put it, “unknockoutable” Daniel Zaragoza, who gave a young Morales a good test before his 41-year old body could not withstand a well placed body shot and was counted out. Kellerman was 22 years old and still a few years from making a rap video that featured boxing centric lyrics.

Lampley has covered all the highlights of Morales' career, including his Fight of the Year with Marco Antonio Barrera in 2000.

Let's pause for a second and recall that fight with Barrera. An eerily similar situation to what took place this past Saturday upon further reflection. Barrera was perceived as being on the decline following two losses to Junior Jones. Morales was deemed the likely successor as the focus of Mexico in the boxing game. It turned out to be a tremendous war in which Barrera proved he still had a lot more left in the tank. The loss doesn't sit as much of a detriment to his legacy as a fighter, especially since he won the following two rematches.

Morales was similarly counted out heading in against Maidana. Writers openly feared for his safety in their pieces. At 34 years old, I found it hard to question Morales' decision to return to the ring. He is reportedly well off enough that there is no evidence to suggest he came back for the money the way some of his brethren have over the years. He's not Jose Luis Castillo losing to Jorge Paez, Jr. [a sad result that took place just recently] or Carlos Baldomir coming in fat and shot against Saul Alvarez just to lend his name to a young fighter's record and to be part of their highlight reel knockout.

Or more coincidentally, Nate Campbell and Vivian Harris who lost this weekend. Campbell's non-performance against Danny Garcia on the free televised portion of Saturday's card is what aging fighters are known to do. Most ringside observers expected a little more from Campbell, like him actually trying to win a round. Campbell, the former lineal lightweight champion, retired following a loss to gatekeeper Walter Estrada last year and unretired when presented with an opportunity to take on the 20-0 Philadelphian, who looked great in a shutout victory.

Harris' story is a little sadder. He fought fringe prospect Jessie Vargas on Friday night's Solo Boxeo from Primm, just forty minutes from Vegas. It was a card that only a handful of writers covered. In fact, maybe 15% of the press section were members of my family. I count the lack of press at small shows as one of the reasons why boxing isn't able to gain a foothold in mainstream sports coverage.

In an interview at the weigh-in with my brother Mario Ortega, Jr. of 15rounds.com, Harris lamented that he wasn't getting offered fights at welterweight, which is the weigh class he wanted to campaign in. Unfortunately, he was only ever getting offered fights at 140 pounds, and as Harris said, “I got to pay my mortgage,” which is why he has ended up in situations like the one he did Friday night.

Harris ultimately had no punch resistance whatsoever and one writer feared his legs were going to give on the walk up the stairs into the ring. After getting mauled in the opening round, Harris quit on his stool and hours later announced his retirement via Facebook. Let's hope things stay that way because Harris is the type of fighter whose health warramts concern, which, as it was mentioned earlier, was covered lightly by the press.

Getting back to the point: Morales is not the kind of fighter who the public needs to question the legitimacy of him returning to the ring out of fear for his health. The pride of Morales is much too deep for him to allow himself to become a Vivian Harris or Jose Luis Castillo. In fact, his pride is so deep that a close, controversial loss to David Diaz [a fight in which many tabbed him the winner] was enough to send him into a sabbatical for almost three years. Diaz wasn't a world class fighter by any means' but he was no gatekeeper.

There are fights out there that nobody should want to see Morales in, but if he chooses a path not to your liking, it is hard to criticize the guy on any decision he makes, especially after seeing his performance on Saturday night. A fight with a Tim Bradley or an Amir Khan could prove to be what shows Morales' age and lack of reflexes, but he has earned the right to take whatever fight he thinks he can be competitive in. If there is one thing anybody who tuned in Saturday night can come away with, it is never to doubt Erik Morales.

While there is often lots of doubt in the sport of boxing, one thing has been proven time and time again, that there is credence and constancy in Erik Morales. So while he continues to ply his trade for our viewing pleasure, enjoy it while you can.

Morales would eventually find himself spun like a top by that same Danny Garcia in October 2012 in the headlining bout of the first card at Brooklyn's Barclays Center. Morales immediately said he's leaning towards retirement, but would consider one farewell fight in Mexico before calling it a day. That means he won't allow himself to deteriorate to the level Campbell and Harris' careers fell to.