If he wants to go to war, then let?s go to war.”
Thus said Erik Morales in an opening salvo fired at Manny Pacquiao when the two boxing superstars crossed paths for the first time Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) in a press conference at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles heralding their March 19 superfight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
It was the biggest media turnout Top Rank has ever gathered in Los Angeles. With Morales, the stylish Mexican gladiator, on one side and Pacquiao, the Filipino ring idol, on the other, one couldn?t have arranged a more explosive duel between two of the world?s best pound-for-pound boxers.
From all angles, it seemed to be a perfect match.
In fact, Freddie Roach, Pacquiao?s highly-respected trainer, has preferred this fight against Morales, much more than a rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez, whom the Filipino champion fought to a controversial split draw last May.
“I think the styles are going to make a better fight than the Marquez fight,” he said in an interview with Maxboxing.com. “Marquez is more of a counter-puncher while Morales will fight you and exchange with you. So it makes it a lot better fight I believe and Marquez priced himself out of the fight. So maybe it?s a nice way of saying he didn?t want to fight again.”
Morales, dapper in a black jacket worn over a white polo shirt, described the match as “a good matching of styles and will be a great fight,” adding that he?s looking forward to the showdown with great interest and enthusiasm.
Wearing a rosary hung around his neck over a white-and-blue sweatshirt, Pacquiao was uncharacteristically subdued, blurting just a one-liner he hoped had reached its target across the other side.
“I?m going to give you a real good fight,” he said.
It was Murad Muhammad, Pacquiao?s US-based promoter, who stirred things up when he said that Pacquiao demolished a legend in Marco Antonio Barrera, sent down Marquez three times and now “he?s going after the top Mexican fighter.”
For his part, promoter Bob Arum told Fightnews: “This smells like it?s going to do tremendous business because Morales and Barrera did big, but it was two Mexicans. I think a Filipino and a Mexican bring another element to it, because it energizes over two million Filipinos in Southern California.”
Tickets for the fight are priced at $400 plus taxes for the most expensive seats with the cheapest seats going for $75. Other ticket prices are $300, $200 and $125. The pay-per-view telecast has a suggested retain price of $44.95 and will be available to over 50 million pay-per-view homes.
Pacquiao was originally set to fight Marquez in a rematch on Feb. 26 but after the Mexican WBA/IBF champion, who was offered $750,000 refused to agree unless he is paid $1.5 million, the proposed return bout was junked, paving the way for the Morales-Pacquiao duel. Pacquiao stands to receive $1.75 million for his bout with Morales.
As word leaked out across the industry that the Pacquiao-Morales match has been sealed, many expressed glee, as well as surprise since it was assumed that Morales, coming off his grueling rubber match loss to archrival Barrera last November, would take a fighter of lesser caliber.
But this is what ?El Terrible? wanted.
“You have to listen to the fighter and Morales kept saying that he wanted the biggest fight out there and the biggest fight out there was Pacquiao and that?s what we were hearing from Tijuana: ?We want to fight Pacquiao? and that was the fight all the polls were telling us that the public wanted to see,” said Arum.
Morales, himself, showed no surprise with the swift turn of events, perhaps believing that it?s the best way to get the bitter taste out of his mouth from his loss to Barrera.
“I wasn?t surprised because I know for about a year they were talking about fighting me. I was waiting on it. The opportunity came and I?m very happy with it,” said Morales. “After this fight everyone is going to wonder who Barrera is. I?m going to take care of my business and forget him.”
But while he doesn?t rule out a fourth bout with Barrera, he says his focus is squarely on his Filipino foe, a certified no-nonsense fighter with great hand speed and power ? and with a southpaw stance to boot.
“Without a doubt he?s very strong and he?s probably the strongest fighter I ever faced,” Morales said. “But I?m probably the strongest fighter he?s ever going to face. So we?ll see who?s the strongest guy out there.”
