LOS ANGELES ? Manny Pacquiao?s trusted aide and assistant trainer Restituto (Buboy) Fernandez said the other day Erik Morales? tendency to circle to his right against a southpaw will prove fatal when the Mexican faces the two-time world boxing champion in Las Vegas on March 19.
Fernandez, 30, said he has studied Morales? last three fights against Marco Antonio Barrera, Carlos Hernandez and Jesus Chavez carefully on film with Pacquiao.
“Napagaralan na namin ang style ni Morales,” said Fernandez. “Hindi kami overconfident but no way mananalo si Morales kay Manny. Slow starter si Morales kaya maagang bobombahin ni Manny. Pupukpok na siya sa first three rounds. Napansin namin na si Morales madalas umikot sa kanyang kanan kung kalaban niya?y southpaw. Kaya pinaghahandaan ni Manny yung kanyang kanan. Pag-ikot ni Morales, sapol ng kanan.”
The defensive theory behind circling to the right against a southpaw is to blunt the full impact of the left hand. A southpaw usually hits harder with the left than the right. Circling to the right will mean extending the distance between a southpaw?s left hand and the target.
Of Pacquiao?s sparmates, Fernandez singled out Raymundo (Sugar) Beltran for his close resemblance to Morales.
“Mahaba si Beltran, kagaya ni Morales,” said Fernandez who is in his eighth US trip with Pacquiao. “Kaya, okay na sparmate. Nasasanay si Manny na sumuntok ng pataas.”
Beltran, 23, is 5-8, the same height as Morales. He is right-handed like Morales. Pacquiao is 5-6 and a southpaw.
Beltran boasts a 16-2 record, with eight knockouts. He has won his last 11 bouts. His only losses were to Steve Trumble, whom he floored twice, and to Victor Manuel Mendoza who won on a disputed split four-round decision.
“I?ve never sparred with Morales but I know what he can do, watching him on TV,” said Beltran after a two-round session with Pacquiao at the Wild Card Gym last Tuesday. “I?m betting on Manny. I don?t have much money but I?m betting at least $100 on Manny.”
Beltran was born in Mexico and moved to the US with his family when he was nine. He now lives in Phoenix.
Fernandez?who has been adopted by the Roach brothers, Freddie and Pepper, as part of the “Ipis” (Roach) family?said Morales? weakness appears to be the body. That?s why in Pacquiao?s sparring, he has been concentrating on throwing a lot of leather to the breadbasket and the two sides of the body.
Fernandez also said Morales is in for a surprise because if his defense is geared to neutralize Pacquiao?s left, the right will knock him out.
“Katawan at kanan,” said Fernandez. “Gagamit ng kanan si Manny at titirahin niya ang katawan ni Morales. Ang maganda kay Morales, hindi siya umaatras. Ang style ni Manny ay pasok kaya match silang dalawa.”
Every morning at 6, Fernandez accompanies Pacquiao in a 45-minute run around Griffith Park in Hollywood. They wake up at 5:30 to prepare for the dawn jog supervised by conditioning coach Justine Fortune, an Australian heavyweight who fought Lennox Lewis in 1995. Also joining the run is Filipino fighter Gerry Balagbagan who?s coming off a two-year hiatus to face Jose (El Tigre) Mendiola of Mexico at the Grand Olympic Auditorium here on March 12.
Pacquiao paid for Balagbagan?s air fare to fly in from his Florida home to be a running partner. Balagbagan, 32, is a former Philippine lightmiddleweight titlist with a 9-6-2 record, including eight knockouts. He and wife Amy, a Caucasian, live in Pensacola.
Fernandez, Balagbagan, writer Winchell Campos and Fortune live with Pacquiao in a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condominium unit at the corner of Sunset and Vine streets, about a 20-minute walk away from the Wild Card Gym.
Fernandez looks after Pacquiao like a doting father. He makes sure Pacquiao?s sweaty shirts and pants are not wringed from training?it?s supposed to be bad luck to squeeze the perspiration out before washing. He prepares Pacquiao?s three glasses of hot Nido milk and plates of sliced fresh orange without fail every day. He prepares Pacquiao?s bird?s nest soup and keeps a stock of Red Bull cold in the refrigerator. He sleeps when Pacquiao sleeps and wakes up when Pacquiao wakes up.
In the gym, he assists Roach in supervising Pacquiao?s workouts.
“I?m proud to be in Manny?s corner,” said Fernandez.
