Mexican great Erik Morales knows all about trying to come back, and trying to come back too many times. Morales, a great warrior in his prime and even beyond, eventually pushed his luck and his body too far by taking that one fight too many; Morales being stopped in nasty fashion by Danny Garcia in what proved to be his final fight.
Now, as his former rival Manny Pacquiao edges ever closer to his comeback challenge of WBC welterweight champ Mario Barrios, Morales understands in full why Manny is doing what he’s doing. It’s because, quite simply, fighters are often “crazy.” This is what Morales said when speaking with The Ring.
“Most of the time, we fighters are crazy”
Morales knows what Pacquiao is going through, how he isn’t thinking like an average person, that he is still feeling that fire and that desire to do the odds-defying thing. It’s in a fighter’s nature to try and overcome tremendous odds.
“Us fighters, most of the time, are crazy,” Morales said. “Sometimes the people don’t understand that and we boxers see something that the people don’t see, but I understand as well that the people see something that we don’t see. I think more or less it’s him (Pacquiao) wanting to be there to win again. I’ve had that feeling, so I know what he’s going through right now and it’s his feeling to be champion again. I think he has a lot of potential to do as much as he can but I think Barrios and his youth is what’s going to help him a lot.”
Danger vs. destiny—risk that makes champions
Morales makes a great point when he says fighters see what we mere mortals do not see, and yet we see what the fighters do not see. Manny doesn’t see the potential danger the fight with Barrios represents, while we do. And of course, plenty of people have expressed their strong opinion that Pacquiao should not be doing what he’s doing.
Yet at the same time, the attempt at overcoming odds is how greatness is achieved, and it’s how fighters become truly special and how they elevate the sport. Fighters are risk-takers, sometimes crazy risk-takers. Morales is edging towards a Barrios win, but there seems no doubt about it – Morales will be rooting for his former rival to pull it off in July.
