TIJUANA – The Baja California government honored native son Erik "Terrible" Morales just days after he claimed a title in a fourth weight division, which had been his professional goal.

Gov. José Guadalupe Osuna awarded the boxer a trophy on Friday that names Morales International Ambassador of Baja California and nominated him for the National Sports Prize, an award Mexico bestows annually.

In addition, the governor announced the creation of a boxing training center in the National Park of Sierra de San Pedro Mártir, in the mountains in central Baja California, which will bear the boxer's name. It will be similar to the well-known sports facility in the State of Mexico, where prominent fighters retreat to train.

On Sept. 17, Morales, 35, beat Pablo César Cano, 21, in Las Vegas to win the junior welterweight title of the World Boxing Council.

The fight was Morales's fifth bout since he returned from retirement to seek a fourth world title, an effort that required him to drop 81 pounds.

Morales had said goodbye to boxing on Aug. 4, 2007, after losing to David Díaz for the WBC's lightweight title. He had been a professional boxer for 14 years, fighting against the greatest boxers of their division, among them Manny Pacquiao and Marco Antonio Barrera, and winning the world titles of those divisions.

After a stint in public life, as municipal sports director under former Tijuana Mayor Jorge Ramos, and gaining then shedding many pounds, he returned to boxing in March of 2007. He began a series of fights against low-profile, modest rivals until he reached his objective, winning titles in four weight divisions.

Morales addressed those who had gathered for his tribute on Friday.

"I remember when I was a kid I used to play with my brother Pelucho (Diego Morales); we would drape towels around our necks, announcing from our corners, pretending that we were boxing. Sometimes he would win, sometimes I would.

We used to play that we were world champions."

Omar.millan@sandiegored.com