ERIK Morales yesterday lost his cool after US media, awed at Manny Pacquiao’s blinding speed in the gym, wondered how the Mexican icon would be able to handle the Filipino firebrand who has vowed to “come out like a gun.”
Miffed, Morales advised Pacquiao to keep his mouth in check and let their fists do the talking on March 19 when they clash at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
“Pacquiao es libre de hacer las declaraciones que crea convenientes… Yo s?lo me limitar? a realizar mi trabajo (Pacquiao is free to make the declarations in his illusions… I will only do my work),” said Morales, who indicated it is far easier to talk than walk the talk.
“I will put in his mouth all his words come fight night,” Morales added, confident in his training conducted at the Otomi Mountains in Mexico located 3,500 meters above sea level.
Supervised by his father and mentor, Jose “Olivaritos” Morales, the battle-scarred Mexican popularly known as El Terible bared that he was in the toughest stage of his back-breaking preparation. Morales runs 12 kilometers in the morning (in approximately one hour and five minutes), and continues his training in the afternoon at a gymnasium where he is assisted by southpaw sparmates who try to mimic Pacquiao’s fierce fighting style.
Morales had earlier belittled Pacquiao as a one-dimensional fighter who could not adapt to situations.
An underdog at the betting lines in Las Vegas, Morales however sought an interview with Mexican media to unleash his most torrid verbal assault after he was portrayed as Pacquiao’s next victim who will suffer the same fate as Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez.
Meanwhile, old foe Nedal Hussein is expected to spar with Pacquiao soon to give the Filipino southpaw variety in his gym work.
Reports coming out of the Wild Card Gym indicate there has been a short supply of partners for Pacquiao after trainer Freddie Roach had to sideline a number of sparmates for them to recuperate.
