When was Erik Morales out of his Prime?

Morales started showing *****s in his armor in the Jesus chavez fight. He was past it after the 3rd barrera fight.

 

After the 3rd pacquaio fight

 

It probablly came around in 04-05 remember this guy had 4 straight brutal 12 round fights in about 12-14 months or so with Jesus Chavez,Carlos Hernendaz,Marco Antonio Barrera,Manny Pacquiao that will seriously wear a man down especially considering he has always cutting weight to have those fights. Morales had a bit left vs Pac in the 2nd fight but Pac took it all starting in the 6th round. Morales is truely on empty right now IMO even though I do believe he beat David Diaz that just speaks about how low of a level David Diaz is especially when compared to a prime Morales.

 

In the third Barrera fight he didn't seem to have quite as much as he did have in the first. He did look great in the first Pac fight but I went for after the Barrera fights.

 

Somewhere around late 2004 to late 2005, around the time of the last Barrera fight, 1st Pacquiao fight and the Raheem fight. I wouldn't be able to pinpoint it exactly, I think the slope probably started pre-Barrera, but I don't want to take anything away from Marco edging the trilogy, and Zahir thoroughly outboxing him in a superb display. He was however way past his prime by the time of the second Pacquiao fight, and pretty much shot for the 3rd fight and Diaz fight.

 

After the MAB fights he wasn't the same not shot but faded.

 

Its hapenned when...what any moron here will say.

 

I'd say he left his best in the ring when the Barrera trilogy was completed.

The 1st Pac fight made him pretty much shot, the 2nd confirmed it 100%.

Enjoy retirement EM, please don't come back!

 

He was probably slight past prime by the third Barrera fight, and effectively shot by the time of the third Pacquiao fight. I've always been of the opinion that 'slightly past prime' is not an excuse for anything. Boxers' physical primes are very short, many of them fight for a long long time at the top level after their physical peaks have passed, and many of them achieve the greatest wins of their careers after their physical peak.

Morales was slightly past-prime for the first Pac fight, but IMO it was the best win and performance of his career.

He was exactly the same man for his second fight with Pac a year later, the Raheem loss can be attributed to Morales never being suited to 135 (like Hatton wasn't for 147 or Whitaker wasn't for 154 or Oscar wasn't for 160) and Raheem being a bad stylistic match and Morales maybe not being as motivated for that relatively small fight after Barrera & Pacquiao.

He fought the same way in the second as he did in the first, but Pac was different in the second, stronger, faster and more determined.

The physical and mental after-effects of being floored for the first times in his career and stopped led to the shell of a man we saw in the third fight.

 

^^^^^^^^

This post here.

The truth & nothing but.

 

By the time the Barerra fights were over, so was his prime.

 

He was noticeably slower in the 3rd Barrera fight. And Barrera was no spring chicken either.

Anything past that has to be considered Erik on the downward slide.

Every great fighter has one great fight left, and for Morales, that was Pacquiao I.

 

:nono & :nono

Pac was better sure, no dispute there but erik`s timing was off in his punches, he was just falling short at times without Pac moving or doing anything defensively... his feet looked heavier, less fluid, you could tell it wasnt the same guy that gave his last great effort the previous year. He had slipped.

I know your probably gonna say that Erik fought like a lion & Pac invested in the body & thats why he stopped Erik.... but Morales usually did give his all even in his bad nights & its highly unlikely that Pac`s body shots would have TKOd a fresher Morales tho I admit, without those body shots, Morales probably hears the final bell.

To put it a different way - I think the Pac of the 1st fight beats the Morales of the 2nd fight by close but clear UD.

I think the Morales of the 1st fight & the Pac of the 2nd fight 1000% goes the full 12 rds & its a toss up whoever wins.


Botswana :good

 

I agree on your first part, but not the second. He slowed down greatly vs. Raheem and negated his boxing skills, opting to slug with Raheem and even managed to hurt Raheem with right hands especially late in the fight, but it was too late. Stylistically bad fight for Morales. Erik's timing was off, he was significantly slower, reckless, and for some reason would not box as much. By then he already had his wars with Barrera and first fight with Manny, but it was his fight with Raheem his abilities were on the decline.

I think his losses to Manny were both due to Manny's improvements, such as his right hook, and Erik's decline vs. Raheem. He started looking flabby and out of shape since his loss to Raheem as well imo. Just not the same fighter.