LAS VEGAS — Weight a minute.
Erik Morales? battle with the scales dominated conversation at the final press conference for his bout against Manny Pacquiao Thursday, with the Mexican?s camp bristling at suggestions that its prized ward would find it tough to survive the 130-pound limit and people continuing to doubt what Morales will bring to the table on fight night Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
?There?s been a lot of speculation about the weight, can he make the weight, people talking about the weight, especially the Pacquiao camp,? said Fernando Beltran, Morales? manager.
Then, pointing towards the trim and fit boxing icon, he added: ?Well, here he is. He?s in good shape and on Saturday night, he?s going to win the fight.?
Among those who seriously doubted Morales? ability to make the weight — outside of the Pacquiao camp — was Rafael Mendoza, manager of Oscar Larios, who was present during the press conference held at the Cox Concourse beside the Thomas and Mack Center of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.
?I am very surprised [because it looks like] he [will make] the weight,? said Mendoza, who on July 2 in Manila — right after Larios lost a lopsided decision to Pacquiao — uttered the now famous line: ?[Morales is] never going to make 130 [pounds] unless he cuts off both legs.?
Now, Mendoza firmly believes Morales will have no problem with the scales.
?The way he looks, the way he spoke, you don?t talk like that if you?re not sure [you?re going to make the weight],? said Mendoza, after hearing a defiant Morales lash at the Pacquiao camp, particularly at Freddie Roach, for making an issue of his weight. Still, Mendoza has his reservations about fight night.
?It?s one thing to make the weight and another thing to perform,? he said. ?It takes a lot of energy to make the weight and he worked like a monk for four months. I never even believed he would make it.?
?I don?t know how he?ll be after weighing in,? he added. ?You can?t tell the body how to react. Will he have enough energy left in him for the fight? You need a lot of speed and stamina against a boxer like Manny Pacquiao, who, pound-for-pound, is the fastest [boxer] in the world right now.?
The members of the Velocity team, which helped Morales shed off excess pounds, laughed at suggestions that Morales would be left without juice for the Nov. 18 bout after focusing on losing weight too much.
?First they say he?s not going to make weight,? said nutritionist Jerry Brainum. ?Now that they see him [looking trim], they say he spent too much energy making the weight that he?s going to be sitting duck against Manny.?
?Well, there?s just one thing I have to say about that,? he added. ?Come fight night, a lot of people are going to be surprised.?
