Morales unsure of comeback

LAS VEGAS – Former three-time world champion Erik Morales, now looking puffy out of training, isn’t sure of making a comeback to the ring but told his close friend, Filipino sportsman Hermie Esguerra, the other day it won’t be a problem losing weight if he decides to fight again.

Nobody dared to ask Morales how much he weighs and he may not even know because he couldn’t care less. From those who saw him up close during his weekend stay here to witness the classic Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez rematch, the estimate was he has ballooned to at least 170 pounds–or 35 over what he scaled in losing a disputed decision to WBC lightweight titlist David Diaz in his last outing seven months back.

“Maybe, more like 180,” said former boxing judge Mari Ojeda who had a photo taken with “El Terrible” the day of the fight. Ojeda flew in from Manila to watch the bout and visit his daughter Katrina and grandson Santino who live in Anthem Hills, a gated community at the peak of the city about a 30-minute drive from downtown.

While Morales has not visited the gym since the loss to Diaz, he told Esguerra he wouldn’t find it difficult to trim down to lightweight – where the limit is 135 pounds – for the chance to capture a fourth world crown.

Morales decked Diaz in the first round of their brawl last August but the 31-year-old Chicago resident, fighting before a homecrowd, recovered to score a close win on points.

In a poll by the sports magazine Todo Menos Futbol, Morales was the only Mexican who picked Pacquiao to beat Marquez. Others who chose Pacquiao were Larry Holmes, David Diaz and writers Greg Beacham, Keiran Mulvaney, Lance Pugmire and Dan Rafael.

Those who chose Marquez to win were Julio Cesar Chavez, Tommy Hearns, Chad Dawson, Marco Antonio Barrera, Humberto Gonzalez, Daniel Zaragoza, Bert Sugar and Sugar Shane Mosley.

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Boxing trainer Freddie Roach said recently working with ageless Bernard Hopkins is a draining experience and a huge challenge.

Hopkins is getting ready for his world lightheavyweight title defense against unbeaten Welsh battler Joe Calzaghe in a fight billed “Battle of the Planet” at Planet Hollywood here on April 19. Roach will be in the Executioner’s corner for the bout.

“He’s 43 but I think he’s got what it takes to beat Calzaghe,” said Roach. “He gets very excited and anxious in training. When we do the punch mitts, he goes crazy. Once, he cut me on the cheek and another time, he hit me in the stomach and I got the wind knocked out of me.”

Roach works with Hopkins late in the afternoon after he winds up at the Wild Card Gym in downtown Los Angeles. He drives 45 minutes to Pasadena for his daily sessions with Hopkins.

Roach will leave Hopkins’ camp to be with Gerry Peñalosa when he defends his WBO bantamweight diadem against Ratanachai Sor Vorapin at the Araneta Coliseum on April 6. He plans to stay in Manila only two nights so Hopkins won’t miss him too much.

After dropping back-to-back decisions to Jermain Taylor three years ago, Hopkins has stormed back with a vengeance to win the world lightheavyweight crown. He beat Antonio Tarver for the 175-pound plum then repulsed challenger Winky Wright in his first defense last July.

Hopkins, who knocked out Oscar de la Hoya with a single punch to the body in their world middleweight championship duel in 2004, is out to burst Calzaghe’s bubble.

Hailed as the best British fighter ever, Calzaghe boasts a 44-0 record, with 32 KOs. He is the world’s undisputed supermiddleweight king. Moving up to lightheavyweight and facing Hopkins, however, may be putting a little too much on his plate.

Still, Calzaghe’s place in British boxing history is secure. 

“Beyond dispute is Calzaghe has joined the pantheon of British boxing greats for this (win over Jeff Lacy for the 168-pound title) was an exhibition to rival Randy Turpin’s defeat of Sugar Ray Robinson, John H. Stracey’s stunning knockout of Jose Napoles, Barry McGuigan’s emotional conquest of Eusebio Pedroza, Lloyd Honeyghan’s demolition of Don Curry and Ricky Hatton’s relentless dismantlement of Kostya Tszyu,” wrote Brian Doogan in the Ring Magazine.

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Pacquiao’s former business manager Shelly Finkel said a few days ago there’s no fighter in the 130-pound division today with a ghost of a chance to beat the Filipino icon.

“I wish Manny all the best,” said Finkel. “I still feel that if I were managing his career, he’d be doing a lot better than he is now. But I only have the best intentions for Manny, his family and his team.”