Erik Morales' Dad Died

Erik's initial nickname wasn't "Terrible" - it was "Olivaritos Jr." after his dad. A trainer gave him the nickname of "Terrible" after seeing him courting three different girls, on the same day. Trainer Jose Morales, father of ex-champ Erik Morales, dies at 60 Jose Morales, who trained many top Mexican fighters during his decades-long career, including son and former four-division world titleholder Erik Morales, died on Thursday in Mexico. He was 60. Jose Morales, who had suffered a stroke in mid-May, operated a gym in his hometown of Tijuana. It is where he taught Erik Morales, who won world titles at junior featherweight, featherweight, junior lightweight and junior welterweight, and his other fighting sons, bantamweight contender Ivan Morales and retired former junior bantamweight world titleholder Diego Morales how to box. Under the guidance of his father, Erik Morales, who is retired, went on to become one of the best fighters in Mexico's storied boxing history and is a shoo-in to be voted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible. Other fighters Morales trained at one time or another included Jorge Arce, Yory Boy Campas, Jose Luis Castillo, Mauro Gutierrez, Cesar Bazan and Jorge Paez Jr. "We will always remember 'Olivaritos' Morales as a person devoted to boxing, but so very much more, as a great person -- that wonderful smile, sparkling sense of humor and that endless reservoir of kindness from a handsome man, with a beautiful soul," WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said. "The WBC joins Erik, Diego, Ivan and the whole family in mourning for a marvelous and truly unforgettable man. Time will pass, but the memories will last." http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/16083713/jose-morales-long-trainer-father-erik-morales-dies-age-60