Morales Is All Business This Time

This is a different feeling for Erik Morales.

Usually, as he prepares for a fight, Morales works himself into an angry lather about his opponent, getting himself bent out of shape with real, and imagined, slights.

But this time, as Morales attempts to take the World Boxing Council’s super-featherweight title from Jesus Chavez tonight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Morales is serene.

“I don’t feel anything like [before],” the Tijuana-born Morales said, matter-of-factly. “It’s just one of those fights. It’s a sport and a business decision. I want to win a world title in a third weight class.”

Business as usual? Could be.

But should the favored Morales (45-1, 34 knockouts) take the belt from Chavez (40-2, 28), Morales would become only the second Mexican to have won world titles in three weight classes, adding the 130-pound championship to those he has won at 122 and 126.

Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez won titles at 130, 135 and 140.

“The people loved Chavez when he was at his best, and I think they like me just as much now,” said Morales, who weighed in at the limit, 130, Friday. “It would be a great honor to be part of that but I’m looking for more.”

Meaning, more titles.

Morales’ road map, ever changing but always pointing to the same destination, directs him toward International Boxing Federation 130-pound champion Carlos Hernandez next. Of course, he has to beat Chavez to get there.

“I know that I could be a piece of the puzzle, or a pawn in the chess game,” said Chavez, who also weighed in at 130 and will be making his first defense of the belt he won with a unanimous decision over Sirimongkol Singmannassuk on Aug. 15.

“It will be interesting to beat the odds again, like I have in the past.”

Chavez, who was born in Parral, Mexico, but grew up in Chicago and currently lives in Austin, Texas, is only 31 but he has already been incarcerated (for armed robbery at 17), deported (his parents had illegally crossed the border with him when he was a child) and sported two identities.

And he is in the midst of a controversy with Main Events, which reportedly forwarded $60,000 to Chavez to help him with legal expenses incurred in his deportation case. Main Events wants its money and Chavez, who later signed with Top Rank, insists the cash was a good-faith investment and that he owes his former promotion team nothing.

Even with the FBI investigation of Top Rank, Chavez, who last was beaten by Floyd Mayweather in 2001 when his corner stopped the fight after the ninth round, trained all along as though the Morales defense would happen.

“[We] are going to clash in the middle of the ring in the first two, three, maybe four rounds,” Chavez said.

“And after he feels my power, then he’s going to start going back. I think my body punches will take a toll, in the long run.”

Morales wasn’t so sure.

“I think he’ll be aggressive,” Morales said, “but when he comes at me he’ll do the same thing he did against Mayweather. He’ll quit.”

Now that sounds like the old trash-talking Morales.

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On the undercard, Miguel Cotto (18-0, 15) of Caguas, Puerto Rico, will defend his WBC International super-lightweight title against Victoriano Sosa (37-3-2, 27).... The cable show will be George Foreman’s final telecast on HBO.

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

The Facts

Erik Morales (45-1, 34 KO) vs.

Jesus Chavez (40-2, 28 KO)

at MGM Grand Arena, Las Vegas, for the WBC super-featherweight title (130 lbs)

TV: HBO. Card begins at 6:30 p.m.