Erik Morales and Other Boxing Legends Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame

Erik Morales, Vitali Klitschko, Ricky Hatton, Rosendo Álvarez, and Winky Wright can now jump into the path of immortality, as they have completed the five-year retirement required to be considered for the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York.

"Since 2001, they said I was already eligible, and from then until now it has been extra. I fought hard and worked hard, and it feels very good to be recognized for the effort, but there is still a long way to go, I will take it easy," said Erik "El Terrible" Morales in an interview with La Afición. Morales conquered four divisions (super bantamweight, featherweight, super featherweight, and super lightweight) in a career that lasted for just over two decades.

Morales Elvira had his last fight in 2012 in New York, where he was knocked out in four rounds by Danny García. Upon leaving boxing, the Tijuana native left a record of 52-9 with 36 knockouts.

The fact of being eligible causes a sensation of satisfaction for the fighter from Tijuana, who while active achieved important victories over Daniel Zaragoza, Junior Jones, Paulie Ayala, Jesús "El Matador" Chávez, and was also the first Mexican to defeat Manny Pacquiao.

In the class of 2017, fellow Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera will also be inducted, with whom Morales had one of the strongest rivalries in Mexican boxing. In the ceremony scheduled for June 11th, Barrera will be accompanied by Evander Holyfield, while the distinction will be posthumously given to Johnny "Mi Vida Loca" Tapia.

If he is also inducted in his first year of eligibility, Morales would be the 19th Mexican in the Canastota Hall of Fame.