13.12.06 – By Matthew Hurley: As 2006 comes to a close there are many moments that come to mind in regards to the sport of boxing. Yet none are as compelling or, upon reflection, as moving as the great Erik Morales staring helplessly at his corner, at his father, and ultimately shaking his head in surrender, allowing himself to be counted out at the feet of Manny Pacquiao. After nearly ten years as a resident in the mythical pound-for-pound rankings and arguably the sport’s most honest and gallant warrior, the tiny titan from Tijuana went out as we all knew he would – swinging.
Only after he had thrown everything he had left in his much older than thirty-one year old body did he acknowledge to himself that he had nothing left to give. Rarely is there a fighter who need not apologize for taking a count. Erik Morales is such a fighter.
After his first loss to Manny Pacquiao in their rematch you could almost envision “El Terrible” sitting in a Mexican bar knocking back tequila shooters and seething at the very notion that the “Pac Man” had got the better of him. Such was his pride that a fighter known to party to excess between bouts cut out all the extra curricular activities and trained diligently for the rubber match. He brought down his weight gradually and was in the best shape he could possibly have been in when the opening bell rang. Yet his legs, once sturdy pillars, were rubbery after too much mileage and his once iron chin had been systematically chipped away at in successive, brutal bouts to the point of cracking. Manny Pacquiao, the hardest and fastest puncher in the sport, simply let those blazing fists fly and Morales finally fell.
Pacquiao has now legitimately achieved fistic greatness and the mantel of pound-for-pound supremacy. Floyd Mayweather Jr., as skilled as he is, will harangue and complain at that notion but there is no other fighter in the sport as talented and exciting – exciting being the operative word – in boxing. Pacquiao is cut from the same cloth that Morales is. Both are warriors with no intention of walking down a path that has already been beaten down. The two of them constantly tread in treacherous waters. That’s what makes them so special and that’s why boxing fans pay good money to see them fight. Fight fans know that when Manny Pacquiao or Erik Morales steps into the ring they are going to get their nickels worth. As 2006 comes to a close Morales is not part of that equation anymore. So who would you rather spend your hard earned money on? A buzz saw like Manny Pacquiao, or a prima donna like Mayweather? Morales fans, who appreciate a warrior’s mentality along with great skills, won’t even bother with Mayweather.
It was sad to see Erik Morales down, with that quizzical look on his face. He looked as though he just didn’t know what had hit him. That look was more than the realization that he simply couldn’t deal with a younger, stronger opponent. It was the realization that a career begun at the age of sixteen was over. He had come so far, achieved so much and now he looked over at his father, who was still imploring him to get up and take more punishment, and had to shake his head “No”. He was done.
Before Manny Paquiao was announced the winner Erik Morales grabbed his conqueror’s taped fist and raised it. He then pointed at Manny and, with a raised index finger, indicated who was number one. It was a classy moment.
In the end all great fighters reach that moment where they have nothing left to give. There is such a weariness in the image of a fallen boxer who once stood so tall and so proud. Erik Morales gave us so much through the years and he was the type of fighter who simply found it unconscionable not to perform with his chin out and his fists flying. He fought, sometimes to his own detriment, for his fans. It’s what made him special and it’s why he will be so missed.