Erik Morales: Classless?

By Roy Marquez
Photos: Marlene Marquez

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On October 15, 1998 baseball announcer Jack Buck uttered his now famous phrase, “I don’t believe what I just saw!” having witnessed Kirk Gibson’s impossible homerun off Dennis Eckersley to beat the mighty Oakland As 5-4 in game 1 of the World Series. Fast forward 20 years and 60 miles east to the inauguration of the WBC Legends of Boxing Museum where stunned spectators gasped, “I don’t believe what I just saw!” having watched bitter rivals Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales embrace in a show of mutual respect.

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WBC President Dr. Jose Sulaiman together with American Sports University Chairman Dr. Harry Hwang and San Bernardino Mayor Pat Morris opened the World Boxing Council Legends of Boxing Museum with a ribbon cutting celebration on Friday. An induction ceremony honoring boxing legends and lifelong contributors followed. Icons in attendance included Ken Norton, Gabriel Ruelas, Julio Gonzales, Oscar Muniz, Mando Ramos, Danny “Little Red” Lopez, Bobby Chacon, Rodolfo “El Gato” Gonzales, Manuel “Mantecas” Medina, Paul Banke, trainers Floyd Mayweather and Jeff Mayweather, manager Bennie Georgino, referee Gwen Adair, and promoter Ken Thompson.

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The WBC Legends of Boxing Museum is located on the campus of American Sports University, located at 399 N. “D” St., San Bernardino, CA. A special thanks and recognition to California Boxing Hall of Fame 2008 inductees Steve Harpst and Michele Chong for inviting us to this event.

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they squashed the beef .at least for now.

 

He had his ******* moments but still a great guy if you dont **** him off.

 

jose sulemain made them kiss and make-up.
Ahhhh,blessed are the peacemakers.

 

he should win the Nobel peace prize.





and later be stripped for not paying the sanction fees.

 

I refuse to believe that they like each other.

Erik Morales doesn't hate him...he's just a mother ****er, that's all.

 

I thought the Blue Falcon(or is it Space Ghost) was a do gooder

 

It's Harvey Birdman...and he's a lawyer so you know he's evil

 

Its a fact its all Barrera's fault for the rivalry with Erik Morales, he was sore about the decision blamed it on Morales and insulted him. He escalated it even more by throwing a cheap shot at Morales during a press conference for the second fight.

 

It wasn't totally classless because it wasn't totally tasteless. There was a certain appeal there because it had a touch of style to it and a little bit of flair. He did something shitty with charisma - that's tougher to judge. But all in all Morales personifies the ruthlessness and spit-in-your-face, **** in your mouth for no reason type of mentality that is signature to people from his part of the world.

 

I agree it does detract from his greatness coz he was not showing the basic respect that all fighters desreve, to them etc. But 'El Terrible' is a ****in Legand, just not a completely honourable one. But ****, he was pure class.

 

oh this is such ****ing bull****... the rivalry between MAB and EM started when EM was coming up and it was coming from EM, who saw MAB as standing in the way of EM being the next JCC. EM was badmouthing MAB from the get, calling him a maricon etc every time he got a chance. He was mouthing off in their first encounter, at a charity event on a soccer field, calling MAB names, saying he was a dirty player etc and told everyone that if MAB kicked him again while they played soccer he was going to knock him out. Someone told MAB, so of course he ran right across the field and kicked EM in the ass. A fight did NOT ensue. From then on it was war between them. To the best of my knowledge, MAB never called Morales a peasant, that's just a claim that EM made.

MAB has a long history of being a complete gentleman towards his opponents, but it's also well established that he will get absolutely vicious to anyone he feels disrespects him. Don't start none, won't be none. MAB tried to reach out to EM many times over their career, and it was EM who wouldn't take the olive branch and make peace.

 

And in other late breaking news, Richard Nixon was found out to be a racist *****.

 

Thanks for the little story, now I love that guy even more !

 

He's a fighter, and like most fighters he has a mean streak and it comes out when he's frustrated or angry. We don't hate B hop or the old time fighters for it, so why hate MAB?

As for him being a rich boy, yes he was and it should make us respect him even more. Unlike the great majority of fighters, he never fought because he had no other options. He was in the ring because he WANTED to be there.