The Legend of El Terrible Lives On

By Carlos Miguel Cinco:
Much props to that bad man from Tijuana, Mexico. He certainly proved doubters wrong last night, though there are still some who call this a fluke and rare feat. I personally don’t buy that the old Morales is back and can compete on the same level as he previously did. Although he did give Marcos Maidana all he could handle in 12 back and forth rounds, he did so using his superior boxing skills, intelligence and experience amassed over a boxing career that started out way back in 1993 (that’s about 18 years ago).
Now Maidana isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed where technical ability is concerned but the kid can definitely punch, no doubt about it. He’s proven that in all of his 30 fights so far and has gained a reputation of being one of the hardest punchers in the sport fighting today. Maidana would be what you can consider a hungry, young and determined powerhouse who hasn’t quite hit his prime yet but has tremendous upside, which in turn, provided a great opportunity for Morales to expose the young man’s inexperience.
In hindsight, Morales chose the right opponent. He knew that somehow, some way, his boxing skills were either going to take him through the entire 12 rounder and end up as the victor in a shocking upset or provide an excellent performance in a losing effort. It didn’t matter what the result was really. Morales got what he wanted, which is to be considered a legit contender again. Could he have won against Maidana? Absolutely. Well he was right there in the fight although quite down on the cards. He hung in there long and effectively enough for observers to notice that he did in fact have a legitimate chance to score the win. Can he compete against elite fighters like Pacquiao again someday? Maybe that’s going a little too far.
That’s not to say however, that Morales’ career is one and done. If there’s one thing he proved last night, it’s that he still has a lot left in the tank. Technical fighters like Morales, Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley though aged have a lot to offer in terms of experience and technique matchups. I personally wouldn’t mind seeing El Terrible fight again considering the performance he put on against Maidana. To me he’s got a great shot at taking Juan Manuel Marquez’s Jr. Welterweight strap right now. A fight between the two just got a little more marketable and a little more profitable business-wise.
If Marquez is still not sure whether he wants to tussle with Morales, then El Terrible has other choices, some that sound very intriguing. One would be a fight against Michael Katsidis, who lost to Robert Guerrero. Both Katsidis and Morales will be coming off a string of losses should they meet in the ring. And both fighters find themselves in a similar situation right now, both are action heroes with lots of heart – Katsidis with youth and aggression, Morales with the experience and technique. Both have warrior tenacity which should make for plenty of fireworks. He could also avenge his loss to David Diaz in a good non-PPV rematch.
But hey, a rematch with Maidana would also be great. The first fight was, wasn’t it?
The legend of El Terrible lives on.