By Jose Luis Camarillo, notifight.com
Last week, former four division world champion Erik Morales (52-9, 36KOs) was banned for two years by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). Morales was sanctioned because he tested positive, in two separate tests, for Clenbuterol. The testing took place as Morales prepared for his rematch with WBA/WBC junior welterweight champion Danny Garcia, which took place last October at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Morales was knocked out in the third round.
Morales has brushed off the ban, because he doesn't have an intention of fighting again in the United States. He wants to have a farewell fight, in Mexico, in the coming months. Morales revealed that he turned down an offer to co-headline an April card in the UK, which features Amir Khan in the main event against Julio Diaz. Morales, who is not training at the moment, said he would not be physically ready to fight on Khan's April 27th date.
"The idea is to make a nice party for the farewell of my career. I've had a 20-year career. I want to throw a party in honor of [myself] and in honor [of what I] accomplished. Not only for me, but for the people who stood by me - my father, my mother, my brothers, the fans, the press, especially the coaches, trainers, doctors, sparring partners and all of those who helped prepare me and demanded me to be better every day. But mostly my children and my wife, who often had to endure my absence for long periods of time. This is not just for me, but for everyone involved in my career," Morales said.
