Little Red Lopez vs Erik Morales

Sanchez didn't "jab his way to victory." He threw everything under the sun. Morales doesn't have the left hand Sanchez did, and sure isn't going to box his way around Lopez. Too much of a warrior.

 

Yes he did. Rounds 10-13 of Sanchez v Lopez I showclassed Sanchez's masterful boxer/puncher offense with lots and lots of jabs. Sanchez was first and busy. Morales could do that but not looking that smooth though. He boxed and brawled Manny in their first fight with the jab being a key weapon. It wouldn't be an easy fight for both guys. Lopez was hard to discourage.

 

Fair point. Little Red has real dynamite power plus was very durable. Crazy to think about all the scoring blows Sanchez put on him and he never stopped pressuring.

Im just favouring Erik based on his body of work namely the ability to absorb punishment at higher weights. He was able to box and still trade with high work rate grinders like Chavez and Famoso at 130 and held his own with the clubbing power of Maidana at 140, 3 weight divisions higher than this supposed mythical match up.

What about the great battles with Barrera? They were displays of technical brawls, both men pushing the pace landing frequently and constantly countering the other. I cant think of many other tougher fights than those and Morales made it threw those brawling for long periods.

 

Good matchup and good arguments.

 

I still say Morales because Lopez was a slow starter. I believe Morales would start first and be first to get his punches off. Morales then has the starting advantage and would keep his rhythm throughout the fight. Morales didn't up the intensity as the fight went on, he normally started with a pretty fast pace and maintained it throughout. I believe the pacing for this fight would seal the deal for him.

 

Exactly,....Morales wasn't the cool, composed being that SS was...and he didn't have the discretion or ring IQ of Sal either. I still say that Danny would have caught him at some point...and POW,...it would have been ovah!!

 

No Featherweight is having an easy time with a prime Morales, no matter how hard they hit, or how well they box.

 

Lopez is and would. Danny by KO withiin 5. Maybe in 2. Once Morales thinks this is easy and charges in, GOODNIGHT SWEET PRINCE! Little Red by KO.

 

I don't always rate the fighters I grew up watching in the 90s that highly in comparison with the fighters from the 70s but Morales I really do. I think he was every bit as great as Barrera (and greater in some ways than him, albeit not necessarily H2H). One things for sure, he was as tough as any of them, including Little Red and I mean that as a compliment to both fighters.

Lopez definitely has the power to KO Morales but to be fair to El Terrible, Lopez also has the power to KO a horse so there's no shame in that. I think Morales had better fundamentals and could be more elusive so I think it comes down to tactics and whether Morales could execute a flawless game plan. Like Lopez though, he was such a warrior that I just have this nagging doubt he could be elusive enough.

I think this is a FOTY contender whenever it took place and it's a really hard pick for me to make so I'm going with Morales but only if he can stick to a gameplan. Honestly, I don't feel fully confident in that pick though.

Regardless, a fantasic matchup and it deserves 15 rounds.

 

Great fight. Morales was never stopped at featherweight (or 122). Little Red was the epitome of an action fighter, but he struggled against some lesser opposition and compounded his poor defense with an iffy chin. Those two flaws are not what you wanted to bring to the ring against Morales. I would pick Morales via late TKO in a see-saw brawl.