By James Blears

A shade over six months ago, Erik Morales was huffing and puffing his way up five flights of stairs to reach the Genova Street Offices of the World Boxing Council in downtown Mexico City.

Gone were the svelte lean lines. A clearly winded Erik, was beginning to look as physically falstaffian as Ricky Hatton. But just in the nick of time, the warrior mode re-emerged, and with it the sheer willpower to week in, week out sweat, off the pudgy pounds back into teak slim fighting shape.

Erik is topping the bill in a boxing bonanza at Mexico City’s Plaza De Toros, next Saturday (September 11th)  in Mexico City, just four days shy of Mexican Independence Day, which falls on the 15th.  In his time and prime, Erik contested three barn burners against Manny Pacquiao and three slugfests against Marco Antonio Barrera. How much does he have left in the tank? Well… Willie Limond, who’s all the way from Glasgow Scotland, and not  generally considered a heavy handed puncher, although, he recently decked Amir Khan. He is here to put Erik to the test. This upcoming contest is going to be a super lightweight bout.

Erik, who’s just celebrated his thirty fourth birthday,  hasn’t given up on the dream of becoming the first Mexican fighter to win titles in four different weight categories-a prospect which he describes as an historic pinnacle. He’s been honing his body at the spartan Otomi High Altitude Center, perched in the bleak mountains overlooking Toluca, and he outwardly looks fighting fit and ready.

Erik has confounded the expectation that if he wins this one, he’ll be challenging WBC Lightweight Champion Humberto Soto. He’s been underlining his partiality in pursuing WBO and WBA Lightweight Champion Juan Manuel Marquez, who’s three years older than him. He revealed talks will soon start with this aim in mind. But first Limond, who he describes as quick on his feet, strong and difficult stylistically is there to be fought. Erik enthused that: “Willie Limond is going to push me to come out on top and win.”

On the same bill Edgar Sosa, is fighting Filipino Ryan Bito. Edgar who’s said he feels far stronger at flyweight predicts he going to knock out his opponent who he says is a polished boxer. Edgar said he’s going to pave the way to victory with long left jabs, which will establish a foundation for a following array of punches, and he’ll take care to avoid any clash of heads. 

A highly anticipated fireworks bout will be a clash for a silver belt between young prospects Daniel Estrada who’s ranked number two in the lightweight division by the WBC, and Reyes Sanchez who’s number five. In the press conference at the Modelo Brewery in Largo Alberto in Mexico City, Reyes grinned that it’s going to be a close fight because he’s trained extremely hard. But when it was his turn at the microphone, an unsmiling Daniel said he’s trained to deliver a knockout.

Daniel later said: “There’s only room on this route leading forward for one of us, and that’s going to be me. I’ve got to where I am in the rankings through my physical and mental dedication and I’m definitely not going to loose my position. I can’t say exactly when the knockout will come, but come it will!”

Reyes says he doubts Daniel’s preparation is all that he’s touting. He said he’s expecting a difficult fight, stressing that he’ll  draw on greater experience gleaned against a higher quality of opposition to win.

Popular and gritty WBC Female Super Flyweight Champion Ana Maria Torres possibly faces the toughest challenge of her career so far, against Alesia Graf of Belaruss, who’s now based in Stuttgart, Germany. Ana’s nickname is the Warrior, while Alicia’s is the Tigeress.  

Carlos Zarate Jr will also fight, against an opponent to be determined at lightweight . Trained by his famous Dad who was a KO artist, Carlos Jr, is undefeated in a handful of fights, most of which he’s ended by KO. His Father’s philosophy is that if you don’t know anything about your opponent, you should train at least twice as hard.

Carlos Jr confides that his Dad expertly trains him. And the Father/Son relationship is left behind at the door of the gym, until the training is finished. Carlos Jr who’s more robustly built than Dad, has been preparing, by sparring against fighters who are six kilos heavier than him. When up there in the ring, he possesses a ruthlessness determination, which also needs to be tempered by the patience to pick his shots.