LAS VEGAS ? What makes Erik Morales so dangerous are not the guys who want to see him emerge triumphant Saturday night against Manny Pacquiao.
What motivates Morales even more are those who think the 30-year-old Mexican is in the twilight of an illustrious career.
“Let me tell you this,” said Morales during Thursday?s press conference at the Cox Concourse inside the vast UNLV campus.
“I have two motivations for this fight. The guys who want me to win and the guys who don?t want me to win,” said Morales on the podium as translated by his manager Fernando Beltran.
“The guys who don?t want me to win make me work harder and on Saturday night I am going to win this fight,” said Morales, who also took the opportunity to assail Pacquiao?s chief trainer Freddie Roach on the issue of his weight.
Morales stressed his point by motioning his hand in the direction where Roach sat and it was evident by the tone of his voice that he was severely affected by the statements made by Roach in the run-up to the fight.
“Three months ago, a lot of people thought I won?t make the weight and Mr. Freddie Roach did not believe it and they were talking about my weight, my weight, my weight. It?s easier to talk than to act.”
“When I watch the fight (rematch), I don?t talk about how he put me down there but how I got down there by not going there well-prepared and if I did not feel weak, that would have not happened,” said Morales, who suffered his first stoppage loss early this year when the referee halted the bout in the 10th round.
Pacquiao only had kind words for Morales, who he expects to be in peak form come fight night.
“I am the type of boxer who doesn?t say anything bad about my opponent. I know that Morales is in shape and he will make the weight,” said Pacquiao, who might get extra income in the event Morales fails to make the weight.
Under the contract, a 0,000 penalty will be slapped on Morales for every pound in excess of 130 lbs.
Roach hardly spoke when given the chance by promoter Bob Arum on the dais but the Boston native was direct to the point.
“This is the best training camp Manny had and this is going to be the fight of his life.”
To prove that he is right on track and prove his detractors wrong, Morales has vowed to conquer the scales when the official weigh-in is held Friday at the Cox Concourse at 3 p.m. where his followers are going to rejoice and look forward to a memorable night in the event he passes the first test.
Morales then will have over 24 hours to fully recover from the effects of weight reduction.
