By Dan Ambrose: Former four division world champion Erik Morales (52-8, 36 KO’s) says he’ll retire from boxing in 2013. The 35-year-old Morales has an important fight coming up on October 20th against WBA/WBC light welterweight champion Danny Garcia (24-0, 15 KO’s) at the Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, New York.

It’s unclear if this will be Morales’ last fight of his career if he loses or if he’ll look to fight one or two more times before he wraps up his career.

Morales said to the record.com.mx “Next year, I retire safe. I feel good physically. I’ve gone great things…I got four championships and there should be a fifth but I was denied me in my fight against David Diaz.”

Morale’s career will still be great no matter how things go in his rematch with Garcia on October 20th. Another loss to the 24-year-old Garcia won’t change the great things that Morales accomplished in his youth in the lighter weight classes. He was very hard to beat when he was younger and fighting at super bantamweight, featherweight, and super featherweight. When he moved up to lightweight, he was still good but not quite the same fighter he once was.

After he retired from boxing in 2007, Morales gained a lot of weight and eventually made a comeback in 2010 as a light welterweight. He’s not been the same fighter that he once was, but he’s still good enough to beat a lot of the top contenders at 140, just not good enough to beat guys like Marcos Maidana and Garcia.

I expect Morales to fight well agaisnt Garcia in the rematch but still end up losing the fight by a 12 round decision. Unlike Amir Khan, Morales will be able to take Garcia’s powerful left hooks without getting knocked out. He might get knocked down once or twice in the fight, but Morales won’t get knocked out and will finish on his feet like a real warrior.