Morales Makes Case in Unanimous Verdict

Erik Morales is not one to get all misty-eyed over heart-tugging, feel-good stories.

So it was no surprise that the World Boxing Council super-featherweight champion had no problem closing a chapter in Carlos Hernandez’s storybook life Saturday night.

In fact, he reveled in it.

Morales outclassed and outboxed Hernandez, the International Boxing Federation’s 130-pound champion, and took his belt in a unification bout with a unanimous decision, much to the delight of the pro-Mexican crowd of 8,611 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

“He’s a gentleman outside the ring,” Morales (47-1) said of Hernandez. “Inside the ring he’s a good fighter. We fought outside the ring and inside it. We fought everywhere. I just hope the fans enjoyed the fight. It was a good night of boxing.”

The scorecards displayed a large discrepancy.

Judges Jerry Roth and Steve Epstein had Morales winning handily, each scoring the bout 119-109, while Nobuakoi Uratani had it 115-113.

It was an expected outcome, for sure. But it did not come without excitement.

Hernandez (40-4-1) pushed the tempo throughout with his straight-ahead, stalking style. He opened nasty cuts above both of Morales’ eyes -- one from an accidental head butt, the other from a punch -- but it was Morales who dominated the punch count.

Morales was the boxer to Hernandez’ brawler. He picked Hernandez apart in clinches and coming out of them with several clean scoring blows.

Hernandez, who had been given advice by Marco Antonio Barrera, the lone fighter to beat Morales, scored and excited the crowd when he was able to land his wild haymakers.

“I hope I proved to everybody that I can fight, that I gave it my all,” a teary-eyed Hernandez said as his voice cracked. “I may not have boxing skills, but I have heart and I don’t go down. I lost to the best fighter in my weight division today.”

Hernandez was raised in Bellflower, but with his Salvadoran ancestry he laid claim to being El Salvador’s first world champion.

At the close of the first round, the Tijuana-born Morales caught an onrushing Hernandez with a right hook to the head, knocking him off balance enough that his right glove touched the canvas as the bell sounded. Referee Vic Drakulich did not see the contact, though, and no knockdown was ruled.

The final round began with the two bowing to each other before sharing a hug in the center of the ring.

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Morales said. “Guys usually talk about killing each other and don’t do anything. We hugged each other and then we started banging.”

Said Hernandez: “Someday soon, I’ll be a world champion again. This might have been the best fight Morales ever fought and it might be the best I ever fought. I think people will remember this fight for many years.”

*

On the undercard: World Boxing Organization 105-pound champion Ivan Calderon (20-0) won a unanimous decision over Roberto Leyva (23-4-1); IBF bantamweight champion Rafael Marquez (32-3, 29 KOs) stopped Heriberto Ruiz (31-3-2) in the third round; the IBF’s No. 1-ranked 130-pounder, Robbie Peden (24-2), won an eight-round decision over Armando Cordova (20-14-1); and lightweight Almazbek Raiymkulov (17-0) got his ninth knockout with a first-round stoppage of Ricardo Fuentes (17-3).