By James Blears
WBC President Jose Sulaiman says that it’s time for Mexican superstar Erik Morales to hang up his gloves and call it a day.
Sulaiman made his feelings clear at a get together of boxing scribes in Mexico City, mentioning his concern about Erik’s four losses in his last five fights.
He also pointedly said: “When someone loses hunger, he loses the desire to win. I think fighters lose the motivation to get up at 4am in the morning and go running, and the motivation to go on a diet. And I believe in that regard, Erik has not taken care of himself.
“He put himself through inhuman levels to lose weight, and he has picked the best to fight with the least amount of conditioning, and that is why he is in the situation that he is.
“But my opinion is that he wants to retire with a victory, and he believes he can win the championship at lightweight. Erik doesn’t want to go out a loser in the way that he lost against Manny Pacquiao. He doesn’t want to go out in the minds of the people thinking of him on the canvas.
“So there are two motivations for him- his fourth world title and his leaving boxing with a different image for fans who’ve seen him for so many years.”
In spite of his own reservations, Don Jose says that the WBC wants to give Erik who he described as a hero and one of the greatest ever Mexican fighters, one last opportunity for glory and to make history.
No other Mexican fighter has won world titles at four different weights.
Nothing is signed, sealed or delivered, but Don Jose says that Erik and the WBC’s Interim Champion David Diaz could be fighting for the official WBC lightweight title in Las Vegas possibly in March or April.
This opportunity has occurred as reigning champion Joel Casamayor has already agreed to fight Acelino “Popo” Freitas, who’s the WBO Champion.
