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Grudge match pits speed, power boxers Morales adds a right hook and a body attack for his bout against Pacquiao By David A. Avila PhilBoxing.com Tue, 14 Nov 2006  When it comes to professional boxing, Mexico and the Philippines are world superpowers. Erik Morales (left) and Manny Pacquiao meet for the third time in two years Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Manny "Pac Man" Pacquiao (42-3-2, 33 KOs) and Erik "El Terrible" Morales have stopped 67 opponents between them. Fistic power and precision are their trademarks. Attempting to tip the balance of power, Pacquiao and Morales meet for the third time in two years on Saturday to decide much-awaited grudge match at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The fight, for Pacquiao's WBC International title, will be shown on HBO pay-per-view and is promoted by Top Rank. Twice the junior lightweights collided in furious engagements. Morales captured the first meeting with a display of cold, calculating tactics in March 2005, and Pacquiao won the second with a blitz of punches for a 10th-round knockout in January. The loss by Morales left the Tijuana warrior humbled and unsure. "I made too many changes in my last fight," said Morales (48-4, 34 KOs), who fired his father and had other personal problems to deal with during preparation for his rematch with Pacquiao. Before the loss to the lightning-quick Filipino, Morales had that cocky attitude that showed in his hawk-like gaze. At the first press conference held in Las Vegas last August, Morales appeared bloated and faintly resembled the fierce featherweight warrior who tore into Marco Antonio Barrera, Paulie Ayala and Bobby Boy Velardez. Despite moving up to the 130-pound division, losing weight has remained a tremendous task for Morales. He contracted a Santa Monica-based fitness company called Velocity to help melt the excess weight. They began in August. "I always had trouble making any weight. I've always been aware of it, that as I get older, I probably have to do more and be more conscious of it. That's why I've taken so much time to get ready," Morales, 30, said during a telephone press conference. Morales signed an agreement that ensured he would be at 130 pounds for the weigh-in or lose $500,000 for every extra pound over the limit. "It's a very critical fight for me," Morales said. Superstar Status Pacquiao's scintillating performance vaulted him to superstar status. The entire Philippine nation stands still whenever the Filipino hero fights on television. He works doggedly to maintain his image. "Manny always looks terrific to me," said Bob Arum, who is promoting the fight. "To fight Manny Pacquiao you have to be in top condition." Pacquiao, a left-hander, works in a frenetic pace in nonstop action on a daily basis. Though dozens of other boxers work through their routines simultaneously, they seem to be at 40 mph while he's at 70 mph. It's a dizzying sight to see at the Wild Card Boxing Gym in Hollywood. "I've never had a fighter who trains harder than Manny," said Freddie Roach, who tutors numerous elite boxers, such as James Toney and Israel Vazquez. "He never slows down." His personal ledger against Mexican fighters reveals an impressive reading. Pacquiao has beaten Gabriel Mira, Emmanuel Lucero, Barrera, Hector Velazquez, Oscar Larios and Morales. Only Juan Manuel Marquez was able to avoid Pac Man's hit list, and he did it by the skin of his nose in a fight resulting in a draw. Marquez was dropped three times in the first round but rebounded and provided Morales with a blueprint against the heavy-handed Filipino southpaw. But in the second match between Morales and Pacquiao, the Filipino boxer added two more dimensions to his arsenal: a wicked right hook and a vicious body attack. "He's very intense inside the ring," said Escobedo, who provided the main sparring for Pacquiao early. "If you lose concentration he can overwhelm you in a hurry." Other Title Bouts Also on the same Morales-Pacquiao fight card will be Colombia's Ricardo Torres (29-1, 27 KOs) and Mighty Mike Arnaoutis (17-0-2, 9 KOs), fighting for the vacant WBO junior welterweight title abdicated by Miguel Cotto. In a WBC junior flyweight world title match, Brian "Hawaiian Punch" Viloria (19-1, 12 KOs) attempts to regain the title he lost to Mexico's Omar Nino (24-2-1, 10 KOs) last August. Click here to view a list of other articles written by David A. Avila.  |
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