For the third time in a little less than two years, super featherweights Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales will meet in the ring. But there?s much more at stake Saturday night (HBO pay-per-view) than in their previous encounters.
Pacquiao and Morales will fight for their pay-per-view lives at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. This applies more to Morales, though the heavily favored Pacquiao might need a fight or two to rebuild his reputation should he come up short.
Not long ago, Morales was regarded as one of the top five pound-for-pound fighters in the world, but he has fallen on tough times of late. He?s lost three of his last four fights ? the most recent, a 10th-round TKO Jan. 21 to Pacquiao.
The lone win during that span was a unanimous decision over Pacquiao in March 2005. But that victory has done little to slow Morales? recent fall from grace.
He looked sluggish during a unanimous decision loss to slick-boxing Zahir Raheem in September 2005. And the ongoing difficulty he has losing weight could hinder his performance in the rubber match with Pacquiao.
The struggles Morales has experienced getting down to 130 pounds were most noticeable in his second fight against Pacquiao. He was extremely dehydrated at the weigh-in. And during the bout an exhausted Morales could not muster the strength to ward off Pacquiao?s relentless attack.
To have any chance Saturday night of slowing down the powerful Pacquiao, he must be in top physical condition. And reducing the stress on his body to make weight is the first step in that process. He?s even hired a professional help to help take the weight off.
?Working with Velocity has been a real good thing to do. We took a lot of time to get ready for this fight ? to make weight,? Morales said. ?I feel real strong, and I think that?s going to be the key. Not only losing the weight, but to be real strong after it.
?I?m going to be 100 percent. I feel real good. I?ve worked real hard for the last three months and I?m ready. I?m going to be as ready as I?m ever going to be for a fight.?
If Morales is less than 100 percent he will lose, and his career as an elite fighter will be over. But he doesn?t seem worried as the day of reckoning nears.
?There is no pressure. I feel no pressure,? he said. ?I know what I needed to do to get to this fight, to win this fight and I?ve done it. I don?t see why there should be any pressure for me in this fight as long as I did my work, which I have done.?
Despite his personal reassurance, Morales can?t completely ignore the impact a loss will have on his career. In the back of his mind thoughts of possibly demise linger.
?I know this is a very important fight,? said Morales, who is 48-4-0 with 34 knockouts. ?I know that I need to win, that?s why I ? work so hard. I?ve taken this fight very seriously and it?s very important to win it.?
While a sense of urgency hovers over Morales, his opponent isn?t completely pressure-free. Pacquiao recently signed a seven-fight deal with Golden Boy Promotions, which has caused a firestorm.
His current promoter, Top Rank, accused Golden Boy of tampering and intends to challenge the deal?s validity in court. Pacquiao says the promotional tug-of-war has not distracted him from the business at hand ? beating Morales. But outside-the-ring issues took him off his game the first time the two met.
?The problem with the first fight was there were a lot of distractions with my manager, promoter and my personal problems,? Pacquiao said. ?I was on top of that first big fight in the early rounds, but after I was cut I lost focus and lost.?
Pacquiao (42-3-2, 33 KOs) dismisses suggestions that prefight problems outside the ring had a major impact on his performance in the first bout. Instead, he puts much of the blame on improper equipment and strategy.
?In the second fight, I did great. I trained harder,? said Pacquiao, who is putting his WBC International title on the line. ?I had the right gloves, I used my right hand more and effectively and I went straight at Morales with a lot more confidence.?
But Pacquiao isn?t just relying on confidence as he prepares to make it two wins in a row over Morales. He is driven to bring another victory to his fans in the Philippines.
?When I am in the ring I am also fighting for my people,? the Philippines native said. ?I want to make my country proud and make my fans happy. It is important to me because my country is important to me. That?s why I must win.?
