REGARDLESS of the outcome of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Erik Morales super-featherweight duel on March 19 in Las Vegas, The Ring magazine will continue to recognize the Filipino southpaw as its champion in the featherweight division, its editor-in-chief Nigel Collins told the Scottish media.
“The Ring currently ranks Scott Harrison as the No. 2 featherweight contender,” Collins explained. “We recognize Manny Pacquiao as the world featherweight champion and Juan Manuel Marquez as the No. 1 contender.
Collins, who was in Manila almost a year ago to award the Ring belt to Pacquiao in the presence of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo at Malaca?ang, added: “Pacquiao?s featherweight belt will not be on the line against Morales as they are fighting at super-featherweight. Win or lose, we will continue to recognize Pacquiao as featherweight champion unless he moves to 130-pound division permanently. Pacquiao, 26, is currently training for the bout set at the MGM Grand at the Wild Card Boxing Club of trainer Freddie Roach in Hollywood.
The Filipino is guaranteed a purse of $1.75 million in his debut at 130 lbs after fighting three times as a 126-pounder, including an 11th round destruction of Marco Antonio Barrera in late 2003, who had beaten Morales to take the World Boxing Council (WBC) crown.
Pacquiao is a slight favorite to get past Morales, who has won world titles in the super-bantam and featherweight categories aside from his brief tenure as super-feather ruler.
Pacquiao is actually shooting for his fourth world title after reigning as WBC flyweight and International Boxing Federation super-bantam champion. While there was no tile at stake in his bout with Barrera, the Mexican was regarded as the best in the world at that time even though he was beltless.
