Erik Morales vs Juan Manuel Marquez

My biggest question is why the two never fought? Morales did not want the fight

What is a prime Mikey Garcia? They should go to law school instead of a boxing gym? A non-fat boxer who is a master of the fundamentals. Great jab, great footwork, amazing use of the guard. Marquez's style relies too much on willpower and crazy conditioning, you have you keep moving or take a beating. I guess his stance looks cool doe.

I think Marquez was the overall better fighter, and had the better career. But I like Morales here stylistically. He was the total package and had a height and reach advantage. Marquez achilles heel was a great jab and Morales had one of the best. It's a highly competitive fight, Marquez will win more than his fair share of exchanges, but I think Morales by close decision, I think he would be first and third more often than not and that will catch the judges eye. I can't believe this fight didn't happen.

One thing that a lot fans tend to forget that Morales occasionally and also had the ability to box. He moved his legs. Out boxers have always given Marquez fits. If you stood and traded flat-footed with him, he'll nail you but if you decide to stick and move, he was at his most vulnerable. He was always at his best when you bring the action to him like in the Juan Diaz' and Michael Katsidis' fights. They brought the fight to Marquez and JMM countered them both at will.

Both have defeated Pacquiao. Who would have won at Featherweight? Morales would win. Good chin good jab. As long as you don’t present yourself to marquez he always have a hard time. You can fight him off the back foot and win. Marquez is a great boxer but quite overrated just because he gave pac hell. pac’s style is tailor made for marquez what can we expect? even then pacs intangibles and physical gifts were able to make em close fights. real props to pac for constantly daring to face his kryptonite. Though of course they thought he’d get old at least lol Because of that reason above we can now hear marquez beating prime cotto at 147 lol! Or prime hatton at 140. No he ain’t. Styles make fights and Marquez had no good win above 140 other than Pac.

Morales, he had better technical ability. Both were warriors full of heart but Morales would take it for his work rate and better fundamentals

Most people will get knocked the **** out trying to fight like marquez. If you want a fundamentally sound fighter, look at a prime mikey garcia.What is a prime Mikey Garcia? They should go to law school instead of a boxing gym?

Marquez is one of the most technically beautiful fighters I have seen. You can't watch Floyd Mayweather and go be Pretty Boy. You can't watch Pacquiao and go be Pacman. You can watch Marquez and learn a whole hell of a lot and copy it to success in the ring. Most people will get knocked the **** out trying to fight like marquez. If you want a fundamentally sound fighter, look at a prime mikey garcia.

Marquez always excelled against aggressive come forward fighters even when he was a “defensive” fighter. He wouldn’t have to chase Morales down. Both are excellent boxers with great brains but Marquez being the faster guy with the better timing he’d have Morales lead and his counterpunching and combinations would deter Morales just a little. When Morales’ workrate dropped it would become easier to wins rounds. Marquez in a clear cut 116-112 type fight. I felt Morales was the third best of the 3 great Mexican fighters and Marquez was the best. I dont think Marquez was any faster than morales at featherweight. Morales and barrera were both fast at 122-126 in their prime. Barrera had no problem tagging Hamed and Morales had no problem tagging pacquaio at 130 when he was declining. In his later years he looked slow but he wasnt at 126.

Marquez is one of the most technically beautiful fighters I have seen. You can't watch Floyd Mayweather and go be Pretty Boy. You can't watch Pacquiao and go be Pacman. You can watch Marquez and learn a whole hell of a lot and copy it to success in the ring.

If I remember correctly, these two were close to making it happen in 2011 but Marquez was just too focused on chasing Pacquiao for the third time. They should've fought that year at 140-144 Lbs just to satisfy our curiosity.

The people who praised JMM were mostly Pac haters. I love watching Marquez but the guys best moments all revolve around Pacman. The Mexicans didnt even like him back in the day they said he was not Mexican style that he was a boring counter puncher, Pac basically made him famous none of the others wanted to fight him thats why they called JMM the avoided one. Marquez is one of the more overrated fighters, this guy was getting touched up by scrubs like Jimrix Jaco, and some thai fighter that means his defense was ****, if you put Pacman in with those guys he wouldn't have a scratch on him and would have knocked them spark out early. and like you said he only got praised for giving Pacman a draw I remember when that fight happened people were giving him so many props for surviving rather than scoring the fight fair Pac had that fight won by a point or two. The second fight was close but Pacman had it 115-113, the third fight I gave it to Marquez but the last 4 rounds he stared coasting Nacho told him survive don't get caught because he felt the reason they lost the last two was due to knockdowns. and the 4th one he got the KO while getting battered, I predicted he would do this because he was roided to the gills and he was dropping guys with that punch, Pacman would not be able to take that he got hit with it many times before. Marquez is very overrated his main asset is his HEART and ability to take a beating, he is no defensive wizard he gets hit WAYYYY more than Pacquiao plus doenst clinch or use a double guard, his main thing is to side step and counter. Excellent and accurate analysis of Marquez

Marquez always excelled against aggressive come forward fighters even when he was a “defensive” fighter. He wouldn’t have to chase Morales down. Both are excellent boxers with great brains but Marquez being the faster guy with the better timing he’d have Morales lead and his counterpunching and combinations would deter Morales just a little. When Morales’ workrate dropped it would become easier to wins rounds. Marquez in a clear cut 116-112 type fight. I felt Morales was the third best of the 3 great Mexican fighters and Marquez was the best.

Marquez is one of my three favorite fighters of all time but H2H at 126, Id say Morales beats him. Morales is too savy, too versatile, too mean, and throws too many punches to lose to Marquez. People forget that Marquez wasnt the same fighter in his FW days. He was a safety first, counter puncher. Morales beats him off activity.

Morales is the better boxer between the two. At their prime, I'd take El Terrible any day.

I would have chosen Morales on his work rate alone. Marquez was a nice counter combination puncher. However, I do not believe he had carried enough power to even hurt or let alone KO a prime Erik Morales. ^^^^^^^^^^

Marquez all day he would of lit up morales

I like Marquez but he generally gets overrated because he happened to give Pac a lot of trouble. Outside of that, he failed some of his stiffest tests. While I think this can go either way, prime for prime is go with Morales. The people who praised JMM were mostly Pac haters. I love watching Marquez but the guys best moments all revolve around Pacman. The Mexicans didnt even like him back in the day they said he was not Mexican style that he was a boring counter puncher, Pac basically made him famous none of the others wanted to fight him thats why they called JMM the avoided one. Marquez is one of the more overrated fighters, this guy was getting touched up by scrubs like Jimrix Jaco, and some thai fighter that means his defense was ****, if you put Pacman in with those guys he wouldn't have a scratch on him and would have knocked them spark out early. and like you said he only got praised for giving Pacman a draw I remember when that fight happened people were giving him so many props for surviving rather than scoring the fight fair Pac had that fight won by a point or two. The second fight was close but Pacman had it 115-113, the third fight I gave it to Marquez but the last 4 rounds he stared coasting Nacho told him survive don't get caught because he felt the reason they lost the last two was due to knockdowns. and the 4th one he got the KO while getting battered, I predicted he would do this because he was roided to the gills and he was dropping guys with that punch, Pacman would not be able to take that he got hit with it many times before. Marquez is very overrated his main asset is his HEART and ability to take a beating, he is no defensive wizard he gets hit WAYYYY more than Pacquiao plus doenst clinch or use a double guard, his main thing is to side step and counter. Erik Morales would have beat him prime for prime.

My biggest question is why the two never fought? Marquez priced himself out. He was offered 1.5million for the Morales fight, but he and Nacho claimed Top Rank were going to keep half of it, so they'd only see 750k. They countered with 3.5million... which was an INSANE figure at that time and it killed the fight. Pac, Barrera, and Morales weren't even making that much. Marquez and Nacho were famously difficult at the time, but Top Rank treated Marquez like the red headed stepchild. He wasn't a ticketseller like Morales was. Had the fight been made 03-04, Morales would have outworked him. 116-112, and Marquez and Nacho would have cried robbery.

I like Marquez but he generally gets overrated because he happened to give Pac a lot of trouble. Outside of that, he failed some of his stiffest tests. While I think this can go either way, prime for prime I'll go with Morales.