By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum says Mexican legend Erik “El Terrible” Morales is upset with him because Arum refuses to promote another fight involving Morales.
Arum told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today, that Morales “is gotten a little sideways with me because he wants to fight again and I told him I’m not going to get involved.”
Arum said he would “never forget” what Morales told him after he lost a close fight to WBC lightweight champion David Diaz who is also handled by Arum.
The Top Rank promoter said Morales told him “every time he got punched he got a buzz in his head. That tells me he is an accident waiting to happen.”
Arum also disclosed that the other Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera who was soundly beaten by Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao in his last fight and was supposed to retire. “now wants another fight.” Arum said that if Barrera was looking for an easy fight, “then why do it?”
Arum praised Barrera as “a very good fighter” who followed a plan in the Pacquiao rematch. He also noted that Pacquiao didn’t knock Barrera out because “he didn’t want to take a chance because he wasn’t in the best shape. When he came over he didn’t watch his diet and had to get on a crash diet for the last four of five days.”
