Gran Campeon
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Much has been written about father and son boxing teams and how most of these cases don’t end well - not only between trainer and fighter, but most importantly between father and son.
Yet there is one father / trainer who is rarely mentioned, despite his contributions to the sport by training and leading his son to five world titles in three weight classes.
Jose ''Olivaritos'' Morales.
Yes, the father of one Tijuana born fighter - Esdrick Isaac Morales Elvira, better known to the boxing world as Erik ''El Terrible'' Morales.
Not a written word ever about ''Olivaritos'' Morales regarding his training abilities, while the usual list of trainers that do get mentioned at times includes...
Jack Mosley – once named trainer of the year as he led his son ''Sugar'' Shane Mosley to three world titles in the lightweight, welterweight and super welterweight divisions.
This relationship only came to a sudden halt when Jack did not have the right answers to help out his son against Winky Wright in their first bout. Exit Jack, enter new trainers for Mosley.
Roy Jones Sr. - who originally trained the boxer who ruled most of the last ten years as the ''man'' atop the mythical pound for pound rankings - Roy Jones Jr.
It was the extreme training techniques imposed early on upon Jones Jr. which made him a champion in the middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, and although Roy Sr. was taken away from his son’s team before Roy Jr. won his first world title, it is widely recognized that his father was the man responsible for Jones's achievements in the ring, and he has even been brought back for his son’s October rubber match with Antonio Tarver.
Eduardo Garcia - who led his son Roberto ''Grandpa'' Garcia to the IBF super featherweight title, and went on to achieve greater recognition as the man who led the Ferocious One, Fernando Vargas, to two world titles in the super welterweight division.
Only after Vargas’ last loss at the hands of Oscar De La Hoya, was Garcia put into an assistant trainer’s role.
Then there's the only father and son team to both win world titles in the ring - Guty Espadas Sr. and Jr. Espadas Sr., in addition to his own success between the ropes, has sporadically trained Jr. throughout his career.
There are other examples, but the ones listed above are mentioned just to show how underrated Morales’ father is.
Always flying under the radar, never bringing attention to himself, Jose Morales has led his son to five world titles in three divisions and is currently eyeing a fourth - in the lightweight division - something which would surpass the legendary Mexican boxing icon Julio Cesar Chavez, who was the first Mexican to win world titles in three different
divisions.
When the going gets tough, Erik Morales gets crankin', something which seems to happen much too often in his fights, mostly due his fiery temperament.
Cut, bruised, and nearly burned out at times, Morales has nonetheless gotten the right directions from his father in between rounds to compile a 48-2 (34 KOs) record, with only two stains on an otherwise perfect slate, with the only losses coming at the hands of his arch-enemy Marco Antonio Barrera.
Morales has shown he is equally adept at brawling, countering, leading with a deadly jab, or whipping out wicked uppercuts in performances which have made him a millionaire and PPV star.
Yet no mention of his father.
So it’s about time that he gets the recognition which has not been given to a man that has seen several other father-son teams crash and burn while he keeps going and going.
''Olivaritos'' just puts in his work in the corner. There’s no yelling or grandstanding, just a nearly perfect partnership between fighter and trainer.
So, Saturday night, when Morales headlines the HBO-televised card against Zahir Raheem, it would be a good thing to pay attention to the man behind the champion.
Be it an easy night's work, a trial by fire or a highlight-reel worthy performance, one thing is for sure, Jose Morales will be guiding his son from the corner, and it’s about time he is recognized as one of the best trainers in the world, in the same breath as Roach, McGirt, Beristain, Goossen, Sdunek, and Steward.
Yet there is one father / trainer who is rarely mentioned, despite his contributions to the sport by training and leading his son to five world titles in three weight classes.
Jose ''Olivaritos'' Morales.
Yes, the father of one Tijuana born fighter - Esdrick Isaac Morales Elvira, better known to the boxing world as Erik ''El Terrible'' Morales.
Not a written word ever about ''Olivaritos'' Morales regarding his training abilities, while the usual list of trainers that do get mentioned at times includes...
Jack Mosley – once named trainer of the year as he led his son ''Sugar'' Shane Mosley to three world titles in the lightweight, welterweight and super welterweight divisions.
This relationship only came to a sudden halt when Jack did not have the right answers to help out his son against Winky Wright in their first bout. Exit Jack, enter new trainers for Mosley.
Roy Jones Sr. - who originally trained the boxer who ruled most of the last ten years as the ''man'' atop the mythical pound for pound rankings - Roy Jones Jr.
It was the extreme training techniques imposed early on upon Jones Jr. which made him a champion in the middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, and although Roy Sr. was taken away from his son’s team before Roy Jr. won his first world title, it is widely recognized that his father was the man responsible for Jones's achievements in the ring, and he has even been brought back for his son’s October rubber match with Antonio Tarver.
Eduardo Garcia - who led his son Roberto ''Grandpa'' Garcia to the IBF super featherweight title, and went on to achieve greater recognition as the man who led the Ferocious One, Fernando Vargas, to two world titles in the super welterweight division.
Only after Vargas’ last loss at the hands of Oscar De La Hoya, was Garcia put into an assistant trainer’s role.
Then there's the only father and son team to both win world titles in the ring - Guty Espadas Sr. and Jr. Espadas Sr., in addition to his own success between the ropes, has sporadically trained Jr. throughout his career.
There are other examples, but the ones listed above are mentioned just to show how underrated Morales’ father is.
Always flying under the radar, never bringing attention to himself, Jose Morales has led his son to five world titles in three divisions and is currently eyeing a fourth - in the lightweight division - something which would surpass the legendary Mexican boxing icon Julio Cesar Chavez, who was the first Mexican to win world titles in three different
divisions.
When the going gets tough, Erik Morales gets crankin', something which seems to happen much too often in his fights, mostly due his fiery temperament.
Cut, bruised, and nearly burned out at times, Morales has nonetheless gotten the right directions from his father in between rounds to compile a 48-2 (34 KOs) record, with only two stains on an otherwise perfect slate, with the only losses coming at the hands of his arch-enemy Marco Antonio Barrera.
Morales has shown he is equally adept at brawling, countering, leading with a deadly jab, or whipping out wicked uppercuts in performances which have made him a millionaire and PPV star.
Yet no mention of his father.
So it’s about time that he gets the recognition which has not been given to a man that has seen several other father-son teams crash and burn while he keeps going and going.
''Olivaritos'' just puts in his work in the corner. There’s no yelling or grandstanding, just a nearly perfect partnership between fighter and trainer.
So, Saturday night, when Morales headlines the HBO-televised card against Zahir Raheem, it would be a good thing to pay attention to the man behind the champion.
Be it an easy night's work, a trial by fire or a highlight-reel worthy performance, one thing is for sure, Jose Morales will be guiding his son from the corner, and it’s about time he is recognized as one of the best trainers in the world, in the same breath as Roach, McGirt, Beristain, Goossen, Sdunek, and Steward.
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