MORALES RETURNS WITH IMPRESSIVE WIN
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 29 Mar 2010
Three-division world champion Erik ?El Terrible? Morales, the Mexican legend, returned to the ring as a welterweight to score an impressive twelve round unanimous decision over former WBA lightweight champion Jose Alfaro of Nicaragua and win the vacant WBC Intercontinental title in Monterrey, Mexico.
It was a fight loaded with action and one that pleased the fans as Morales attempted to prove that he is still a fighter to reckon with even after a layoff of almost two-and-a-half years.
Alfaro appeared to be out of his depth and too small at 147 pounds while Morales although a little chubby showed some of the old fire that made him an attractive fighter especially in his memorable trilogy against another Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera.
Morales won by a margin of 116-112 on two judges scorecards and 117-111 on a third in what was at times a brutal battle with both fighters ready to trade big shots in furious exchanges.
Morales trained under his father Joe Morales in the refreshing mountain air of Otomi for two months in a determined effort to come back in style.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum had refused to promote another fight for his longtime star and wanted him to retire especially after he took two bad beatings from pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao who scored a 10th round TKO followed by a 3rd round knockout after Morales won a twelve round decision in the first fight of an epic trilogy that helped establish Pacquiao?s credentials as the ?Fighter of the Decade.? But KO Promotions stepped up and promoted Morales in a fight card titled ?The Champion Returns.?
With the win that pushed his record to 49-6, 34 knockouts Morales has his eyes set on a fourth fight against Pacquiao . At a recent Televisa event honoring Mexico?s best athletes of the last decade Morales expressed his desire to fight Pacquiao the reigning WBO welterweight champion.
Morales said the two opponents who had ?defined my career are Junior Jones and Manny Pacquiao. Defeating Jones (TKO 4) was important to me because he had stopped something like 32 Mexicans in previous fights. Defeating Pacquiao (1st fight) is my greatest accomplishment in the ring. I would love another chance at Pacquiao and I also look forward to fighting Juan Manuel Marquez in the future.?
Morales claimed that at 147 ?I?m faster than ever and freer with my body so I can get the most out of it.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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