Boxing - The Sweet Science

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Morales looks for respect in rematch
WBC champ to face Barrera at MGM

Tuesday, June 18, 2002
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
By KEVIN IOLE
REVIEW-JOURNAL


HOLLYWOOD -- Erik Morales, the World Boxing Council featherweight champion, is 41-0 with 31 knockouts. Among his victims are six former world champions, three of them by knockout.

Those six men -- Daniel Zaragoza, Wayne McCullough, Kevin Kelley, Junior Jones, Marco Antonio Barrera and Guty Espadas -- make up a who's who of the bantamweight, super bantamweight and featherweight divisions from the last 10 years.

Yet, all Morales hears about these days are his failings. He has been told he was lucky to have beaten Barrera, how he looked lethargic against Espadas and Injin Chi and how he ballooned to 160 pounds before some of his recent fights.

Morales, who will fight Barrera on Saturday at the MGM Grand in a rematch of their 2000 bout that has gone down as one of the most exciting in boxing history, reacts with a bemused grin.

Saturday's fight is, by contract, Barrera-Morales II, instead of Morales-Barrera II. Morales won the first fight and thus should have had his name first in the promotion. But Barrera wouldn't take the fight unless his name appeared first.

And Barrera insisted on choosing the brand of boxing gloves the two will use, another task usually afforded the reigning champion. Barrera issued the ultimate insult when he declined to fight for Morales' WBC title. If Morales wins, he remains the WBC champion; if he loses, the title becomes vacant.

"That's fine that he wants all of that," Morales said quietly Tuesday after a brief workout at a steamy upstairs gym. "I got what I wanted. I've got him in the ring again. That was all I really cared about."

Barrera declined an immediate rematch after their memorable Feb. 19, 2000, fight at Mandalay Bay that won Fight of the Year honors. Marc Ratner, the executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission, said the fifth round was as good a round as he had seen.

Morales, 25, won the first fight by split decision, with Carol Castellano and Dalby Shirley favoring Morales and Duane Ford siding with Barrera. That sparked outrage by the American media, most of whom thought Barrera won.

Knowing that, Morales offered to fight Barrera again, but Barrera opted to fight Prince Naseem Hamed instead, taking the same amount of money for the Hamed fight that he was offered for a Morales rematch.

"That shows you that he doesn't want to fight Morales, not really," said Fernando Beltran, Morales' manager.

Barrera said his decision had nothing to do with being afraid of Morales. Barrera thought a fight with Hamed would do more for his career.

For now at least, it appears Barrera was right. He won an easy decision against Hamed.

And Morales hasn't been as sharp in his five fights since meeting Barrera. Many thought Morales got a gift when he lifted the World Boxing Council featherweight title from Espadas at the MGM on Feb. 17, 2001.

But Morales said he has a surprise for Barrera on Saturday.

"Morales isn't the kind of guy who is going to do a lot of talking and making predictions," Beltran said. "But he wants this fight so badly he has done everything in camp that he could to get ready. He's never been better. And he is going to show that to you on Saturday night. The people who have doubted him, believe me, they will have their eyes opened after this fight."

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