Erik Morales: Chavez With Edge in First Half, Canelo in Second Half

By Miguel Rivera

Mexican boxing legend Erik "El Terrible" Morales analyzed the upcoming grudge match between countrymen Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

The HBO Pay-Per-View fight takes place on May 6th from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Canelo, who never fought beyond the weight of 155-pounds, will move up to 164.5-pounds for the contest with Chavez Jr.

Morales, best known for his memorable trilogy with Marco Antonio Barrera, does not really have a favorite in Canelo-Chavez.

He feels Chavez will be at his most dangerous in the first half of the contest, and Canelo will be at his most dangerous in the second half.

"It is really admirable on the part of both of them, one dared to go down so much [in weight] and the other dared to rise," said Morales to ESPN Deportes.

"From [rounds] 1 to 6 - the advantage is with Chavez and from 7 to 12 it's with Canelo. It's a fight that has the feeling where two fighters are hurting - because they both feel that they deserve more than what people giving them and they want to own the truth, to have the ability to say 'I am the one who represents Mexico, not him, I have more than him.'

"It's a subject of egos, they have them, they have to give a lot up in the ring but we have to understand that they are fighting at a bigger weight and therefore we will not see as many punches as Barrera-Morales.. when we were younger and the speed was more constant - but there are going to be punches... the people are going to be involved and it's going to be a great fight."

"Junior has to be disciplined and that is obtained with work, effort and a lot of dedication. Discipline is a matter of time, even if he behaved and was disciplined throughout the training camp, he has to have the mentality and capacity to get into the ring and maintain that discipline And I mean to keep to the fight plan. Mr. Beristáin is very concrete in those areas. When a coach tells you something, you are going to do this.. no matter what happens, it does not matter, suddenly you are going to do what you are told to do."