Erik Morales isn’t so old, even at "ancient" MMA age of 34

Las Vegas, NV, United States (AHN Sports) – Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Erik Morales is so old…

Acutally, stop right there. Erik Morales isn’t all that old. He’s just been around forever.

With Morales headlining a pay-per-view world title fight against Marcos Maidana, Saturday night in Las Vegas, it would be easy to trot out the “aging fighter” shtick. It could be filed under J, for Jones, Roy Jr., but it’s probably better to look under H, for Holyfield, Evander and Hopkins, Bernard.

Those three fighters are still vying for one more shot at greatness well into their 40s. Unlike that trio of legends, Morales wasn’t born in the 1960s, or even the first half of the ’70s. He didn’t start boxing in the 80′s, or even the first three years of the ’90s.

He’s just 34 years old, but he’s been boxing as a pro for more than half his life, and Erik Morales has packed a lot of action into those 18 years.

With 57 fights, he’s fought more often than Holyfield and will pull to within one of Hopkins and three of Jones after Saturday night.

Morales is the boxing equivalent of a childhood star, but he’s more Ron Howard than Gary Coleman. He arrived early and stuck around.

Morales turned pro at age 16, won his first world title the week he turned 21, and fought the first of his epic wars with Marco Antonio Barrera at age 23.

At age 28 became the only fighter in 12 years to beat Manny Pacquiao. It was a crowning victory at an age when most fighters are in their prime, but it was Morales’ only win in a six-fight stretch spanning three years and led to his retirement at age 30.

A close loss to David Diaz closed that losing streak and convinced Morales to take a break from the sport.

“After that David Díaz fight, I felt very, very bad: morally, mentally, physically,” Morales said. “It was devastating. That loss was very hard for me. I felt that I wanted to blame people. I felt that someone caused me to lose. I just felt very, very bad. Right there and then after that fight I wanted to come back, but I just didn’t have the reason to. I didn’t know how to come back. I wasn’t sure how to go about it. I was very unhappy, personally with myself. I didn’t know what to do.”

Leaving the sport didn’t provide any relief for Morales, however. Just the opposite.

“I was very, very depressed,” Morales said. “I had a personal problem, and I started thinking to myself, ‘What’s going to make me happy in life? What do I want to do in life?’ Ultimately, fighting is what makes me happy. I like to fight. I love it. I like the big stage and lights and then fighting. It must have been in October of 2009 when I finally decided I’m going to start training again and I’m going to do it. I haven’t stopped since.”

Morales returned to the ring last year, and has defeated three lesser opponents to mixed reviews in his comeback quest.

“Basically, he looked like a fighter that was retired for two years,” Maidana said of Morales’ performance. “What I saw in those three fights was that he is a fighter that’s not in his prime anymore. I’m in my prime. I think that’s going to be the difference.”

“I’ve heard the same from a bunch of fighters, possible rivals of mine that say that my time has passed, that I’m not the same fighter anymore,” Morales responded. “But once they step in the ring with me, it’s a different thing, and they realize that I can still fight.”

“I’m not old. I’m not old at all,” Morales continued. “Look at my age. I just decided at 30 years old to take a break. Take a break. Let my body rest, my mind rest. I was a little burned out. Now I’m back and I feel fresh and I feel great and I’m going to be ready. Believe me. I’m going to be ready for this fight.”

Rested and rejuvenated, Erik Morales is ready to make his return to the championship level. If things go well, who knows, maybe we’ll be able to trot out the old man jokes on his behalf in another decade.

---