How do you rate Morales win over Pacquiao in their first fight ??

Puts him over the 3 amigos of his era IMO

 

A perfect way to get over the immediate loss in his three fight trilogy against three-time archrival and two-time conqueror Marco Antonio Barrera, especially since Pac was two fights removed from his first fight with Barrera which was one year before Barrera-MoralesIII.

All in all, it was the best temporary remedy and anecdote to get the sick bad feeling of the loss to his long time archrival and conqueror out of his mouth before the second and third fights with Pacquiao.

 

Every single post bro'.

 

Are we not giving JMM credit for getting the better of the series with Pacquiao? Or does the rest of his ring record not match up to 'El Terrible's? I'd much prefer to have Morales out in front but MAB got the better of Morales in their trilogy IMO.

 

That's whats hard about the three great Mexicans of this era. It's SO close, and the head to head results, mixed.

Marquez got the better of their mutual nemesis, Pacquiao, the most. He arguably beat him 4 times. Most consider the second and the third fights bad decisions, and the 4th a concussive knockout. Morales has that great first win, but was then utterly crushed twice. Marquez was never crushed; Barrera and Morales were.

Morales has the best overall resume. Rising through the weights, he was amazing, and he beat almost everybody. He is the only one of the three to outpoint Pacquiao and get the decision. But he came up second-best to Barrera, and after Marquez beat Barrera, Morales has sustained several more losses.

Barrera has the spottiest resume, and was decisively beaten both times he fought Pacquiao. But he got the better of Morales twice, and he has the super iconic win that the other two sort of lacked in beating Hamed. He actually fought Marquez and did very well, and in his greatest performances, looked absolutely devastating.

I really can't split them much. I just say they are all great. Deciding who is greater is too tight to call at this point, but I will say this: If Marquez keeps fighting, and keeps winning, he's close to breaking away from this tightly packed trio. A win over Bradley, and another over Pacquiao, maybe a retirement fight against a Vernon Paris type, and he's got the best resume of them all, and the best h2h results. Morales and Barrera were more iconic and had the bigger wins, but Marquez has gained a TON of ground in the last three years.

 

Great post and my sentiments exactly.

 

I think he's reached there pantheon.

One more win over still another top 20 pound for pound fighter? I'll agree unequivocally with you.

 

I can't see how Pac VS Morales and Marquez reflects poorly on Barrera. Styles can make fights just as much as levels. I think we all know this. Look how Barrera performed against Morales and Marquez and at which stages of their careers, for crying out loud. I wonder if similarly to Pac VS Cotto, Pac VS Barrera played out the way it did, so contrary to Pac/Morales and Pac/Marquez, at least partly because of an elite left hand dominant fighter fighting from a southpaw stance matching up well with an elite left-hand dominant fighter with an orthodox stance. Pacquiao seems to eat that stuff right up. Because he's weaker to the best rights from orthodox fighters than he ever was to the lefts?

 

More pure results. They all had a very common nemesis terrorizing their reigns atop the sport, and Morales and Marquez did better against him in wins.

Barrera was a masterful boxer, but he had the slowest feet of the three, and he WASN'T an elite counterpuncher. Pacquiao's hand and foot speed, and tornado attack, made him a nightmare for guys like Morales and Barrera. Morales had to fight his career best fight to get a close win.

Marquez just has all the tools. Right handed power, counter punching in combination, the ability to avoid a war when he needs to, patience, and the subtle feinting that Morales and Barrera lacked. Just what you need to outbox Manny.

Morales and Barrera had ace jabs, though, which JMM lacks. Its really fascinating to compare the three.

 

I think Morales is above mab despite mab getting the better of their trilogy. I think jmm is top of the pile.

I was gutted when he announced the fedchenko fight, a vacant lww strap had Marquez v Morales written all over it. It had been ages since Morales was worth beating but at that point he certainly was.

I have Marquez only ever losing to Floyd and Pac (second fight by 1 point). His consistency is truly amazing and he's done it from feather (first Pac fight) right up until welter (last Pac fight).

 

Pure results man, are you? :think Okay, cool. But, dig this, my man. I say, there's simply too much focus on the pure results of the holy trinity against one guy, no matter how great that one guy is. With the exception of only one pairing, these guys all fought each other, what, 11 times, in the quadrosaurus monster golden cage o' death? I think there's a severe imbalance of emphasis in just Pac fights that heavily, heavily takes a bias against Barrera. What about the pure results of all the fights between these greats? Those, for me, flat-out prove that no one but Pacquiao (based on whole careers and not just how fights against any one opponent in common compare) stands clearly above Barrera to the point that it's not arguable.

 

Head to head, I agree. Wasn't really debating that; Barrera was amazing. For my money, the best fighter of the three. He had some glaring weaknesses, but he had the same iron toughness and heart, and his combinations were utterly exquisite. He channeled Chavez in there sometimes. Erik Morales is a fine fighter, and there were times where he beat the tar out of him. Schooled Hamed. Hung with a better pure boxer in a chess match at an advanced age against Marquez. Reversed a onesided ass beating into a respectable challenge of Pacquiao; Whereas Morales was savaged in his latter bouts with Manny, Barrera went the distance and won a handful of rounds, after suffering an utter beatdown in the first go around.

Was mainly debating accomplishment.

 

I honestly think Morales and JMM belong in the tier just above MAB

 

Ever since Pacquiao was tossed into the mix he's really been the bar as to who was greater based on their performances vs him. I actually have the series even between Marquez/Pacquiao. Marquez floundered early in his career before finally clearly beating Pacquiao in 2011 and I believe that is what bumps him ahead of Barrera, as well as beating him officially, albeit Barrera being past his best.

I've Morales ahead of the other two, people have a hard time separating Morales and Barrera ATG-wise but it's pretty simple IMO and it's Morales handily with CLEAR wins over Pacquiao and Junior Jones who both KTFO of Barrera. Morales also not getting stopped in his prime should separate him. They both had solid reigns against basically identical opposition as well at 122 and 126, with the big W coming at 130 for Morales over Pac while El Terrible was already past his best.

I have no problems with Marquez being the top guy for some though.