Was Erik Morales the world's best fighter from 01-03?

As is Erik

Erik was the guy who really turned me into a hardcore fan

I see what you're saying with your OP, but i simply cant agree, as i always feel Marquez was better, and if there's any argument for Erik being P4P#1 back then, then there sure as hell is for Marquez

 

Griffith, Hill, Tarver, Paz were probably the most well known, excepting an old McCallum.

But guys like Sosa, Brannon, Johnson, Del Valle, Telesco, Harding, Hall, Harmon, Gonzalez and Woods were all ranked. And Ruiz was of course a HW title holder.

Yes, there's no great fighters among that bunch, but they were ranked and several of them title holders or solid contenders and, more importantly, he handled almost all of them like they had no business being in the same ring as him. That's why he was The Ring's nr 1 p4p during all these years.