Underdog Boxing: Does Marquez's road to Pacquiao pass through Morales?

It's a fight that I've always wanted to see. Manny Pacquiao, Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera, and Erik Morales were ruling the lower weight divisions about five years ago and there have been 11 fights among these four sure-fire Hall-of-Famers. However, we never saw a fight between Morales and Marquez. On April 9, the two Mexican legends will meet for the WBC Lightweight Diamond title. It may be a little too late but we're finally seeing a bout between the two Mexican greats. Both are chasing a shot at history as no Mexican has even won titles in four different divisions. Marquez is still yearning for another shot at Pacquiao. Both their fights have been painfully close and Marquez still feels that he can cause trouble for Pacquiao. I like Morales but I do not think that he is the kind of fighter that will deny Marquez's credentials to complete the trilogy with Pacquiao. El Terrible's best days are clearly behind him. He may give Marquez a tough time for the first four or five rounds but he'll fade in the latter rounds. Morales is a proud prizefighter who gives his all every time he laces up his gloves, but right now he may not have that much left, definitely not enough to beat Marquez. Time has already robbed us of the El Terrible we've come to love. This could have been a really good fight at featherweight or at super featherweight but not at lightweight, and definitely not now. Marquez has proven that he is still one of the very best fighters out there by knocking off young challengers, while Morales has only defeated Class B fighters since he came back from semi-retirement. This should be a fairly easy win for Marquez. I'm leaning towards a late stoppage win for Dinamita, and I also think this is the last time we'll see Morales in the ring. However, a win over Morales will do nothing for Dinamita’s march toward another fight with Pacquiao. The best option for Marquez would have been a fight in the light welterweight division against any of the top guys there. A win over Amir Khan would be big, as would be a win over Timothy Bradley, Devon Alexander, Lamont Peterson, and even Victor Ortiz. What Marquez needs to prove is his ability to handle much bigger guys. He is untouchable at lightweight, but he hasn't proven anything north of 135 pounds. His only trip to welterweight was an utter disaster when he was beaten up by Floyd Mayweather. I guess it's safe to assume that Pacquiao won't be returning to the light welterweight division even if he can. Pacquiao is comfortable in the welterweight division, and Marquez will have no other choice but to meet him there. Don't get me wrong, I do want to see a fight between Pacquiao and Marquez, but I don't think Marquez is taking the correct steps in making it happen. This doesn't mean though that I'm not going to enjoy watching Morales-Marquez. It should be lots of fun while it lasts. - KY, GMANews.TV