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Morales set for 11th professional bout
Apr. 26—Ellwood City's Rosalindo Morales is set to make his 11th professional appearance in the boxing ring.
Morales will take on Marcelo Williams in the junior lightweight division bout on Saturday at the Hollywood Casino at The Meadows in Washington County. The event's first bell will be at 7 p.m. and Morales' fight is set for six rounds.
"This is my first fight back since my last fight in January 2023 due to shoulder issues and surgery," Morales said. "It's been a tough fight camp, but it's probably been one of my best training camps I've had."
Morales moved to Ellwood City from Texas in 2004 and graduated from Ellwood City Lincoln High in 2012.
Morales, a southpaw, holds a professional record of 9-1 with two KOs on his resume. Williams is billed as a 27-fight veteran.
"I know he's going to be very rugged and durable. He's only been knocked out two times in those 27 fights," Morales said of Williams. "I'm expecting him to bring the pressure. We've been focusing on picking my shots and using my defense and counter-punching to my advantage.
"Keys to victory for this fight are to stick to the game plan. Defense after offense. Offense after defense."
The 30-year-old Morales trains with Molinaro Health and Functional Training's Mike Molinaro and Dare 2 Be Great Boxing Academy's James Rogers.
"The training for this fight has been great and spectacular," Rogers said. "In the beginning, it was a little bit rocky getting back into the swing of things, but now he's geared up and ready to go. He's got a solid mindset, a strong body and he made weight in a very healthy way. We cross all of the Ts and dotted all of the Is."
Rogers started training with Morales since his fifth professional bout. Rogers said Morales has excelled in transitioning from amateur to professional boxing.
"My transition has definitely been a slower process since I've been boxing since I was 13," Morales said. "I've always been in my old habits. Since starting training with my head coach, coach Jae in 2021, my pro-style boxing is coming to life and I love it. There's so much potential to learn."
