Morales went out a HERO.. but he comes back a FOOL -- Mirror

By Barry Mcguigan, Mirror.co.uk

Erik Morales stands third in my all-time list of Mexican fighters behind Julio Cesar Chavez and Marco Antonio Barrera. That is how highly I rate him.

His first fight with Barrera is in my top 10 bouts of all time, an unbelievable meeting of fire and brimstone inside the ropes.

Morales is the last man to beat Manny Pacquiao five years ago but then he went on the slide, losing the next four fights before retiring.

There is no doubt that hanging up the gloves two and a half years ago was the right thing to do.

Tonight in Monterrey, El Terrible is returning to the ring aged 34 against a Nicaraguan journeyman called Jose Alfaro.

What is going on? There is no worse sight in sport than a shot fighter yearning for the past, a shadow of his former self.

In my 15 years as president of the Professional Boxers Association this was the biggest problem I had to address.

Next week Roy Jones Jnr takes on Bernard Hopkins 17 years after their first meeting. Jones reckons he will knock out Hopkins. It would be laughable if it were not so serious.

Morales conceded on retirement that he had taken too many punches to warrant extending his career. What has happened since then to change his mind?

Those punches have not gone away. He is no less susceptible to the dangers of long-term, slowonset impairment. He says he is targeting a fourth fight with Pacquiao. He must be dreaming. Pacquaio himself is hinting at retirement, doubtless to smoke out Floyd Mayweather.

But he won't hang around to beat up an old pug who cannot adhere to basic referee's instructions - defend yourself at all times.

The best outcome tonight would be a resounding victory for Alfaro. Sadly, that is unlikely given his pedigree.

It is a bad end to a sad week. My phone has been ringing off the hook with people wanting to discuss the passing of Harry Carpenter. Harry had been out of the limelight for 16 years, yet people remember him as if it were yesterday.

He went out at the top is no of his game and died in his sleep, aged 84. I would sign for that right now.

I recall Harry saying how he thought I had done the right thing when I retired. He was pleased I got out in good shape.

Morales is walking a tightrope that leads only one way - to misery and failure.

I prefer to remember him at his peak, standing toe to toe with Barrera going flat out to the finish. I have rarely seen such raw power and ferocity reciprocated so skilfully. They went through the full canon of boxing skills.

Morales not only hit like a mule, he could take a punch too.

He went out a hero and comes back a fool. Boxing is a young man's game.

Source: mirror.co.uk