Just around the corner on March 19th, 2005 is going to be a night that will not be forgotten in the annals of boxing. That is the date that Mexican Superstar, Erik ?El Terrible? Morales (47-2, 34KO) squares off against the Filipino sensation Manny ?The Destroyer? Pacquiao (38-2-2, 30 KO?s). There is a serious buzz in the air about this fight and rightly so with this historic match-up. The duo have been champions in multiple weight divisions and many experts tout both men as being in the top ten pound for pound in the world. What makes this fight so intriguing is the fact that you have a devastating puncher in Pacquiao, fighting a very solid tactician in Morales.
“Fight fans are going to see an all-action fight from bell to bell,” said Bob Arum of Top Rank, who promotes this fight along with M & M Sports and MGM Grand. “This is an exciting event and this is what professional boxing is all about.”
These two-action fighters’ share one common opponent, Mexican great Marco Antonio Barrera. Morales, via Tijuana, has a single win, along with two losses on points to Barrera, with the November 27th majority decision loss fresh on his mind to Barrera in his last fight. Pacquiao, a two-time world champion from Kibawe, Philippines, scored a devastating 11th round TKO victory over Barrera in November of 2003.
There are many ?what if? factors attached to the upcoming fight such as, how would Pacquiao look at 130? Will his power carry over to that weight? Will Morales start of slowly again like he did with Barrera? Will Erik?s chin hold up to Manny?s straight left and will Pacquiao?s chin hold up to Morales punches?
All of these questions are going to be answered and then some on March 19th at MGM Grand, but for now, I will give you my two cents as to who is going to win and why. That is why you are reading this after all, right?
The outcome of this fight is going to be simple: Manny Pacquiao will become the first man to stop Erik Morales. While this is a very bold prediction, I do not think that it is very far out of reach. With this being Manny?s first fight at 130, and as his power has stayed with him as he moved up, this junior lightweight will prove to be no different.
From this viewer’s eyes, Morales is better suited to featherweight and is a bit slower at 130, lacking the extra steam on his punches. This will be what causes his undoing in this scheduled 12-round fight. Pacquiao as we all know, likes to start his fights very quickly so he can set the pace. This fight will be no different, with Morales starting slowly and Pacquiao jumping all over him in the early going. Look no further for a pattern in Pacquiao as he dropped Juan Manuel Marquez three times in their May 8th bout, ruled a draw. Also, Pacquiao has stoped 31 of his 39 victims by way of knockout.
Morales does have a granite chin and good counter-punching ability, however, Pacquiao is going to be too awkward for Morales to land anything of substance. Manny is going to set the pace of the fight in the first two rounds and Morales’ chin will keep him afloat through the early storm. As the fight wears on, Pacquiao?s straight left is going to find its home more often and it will eventually wear Morales down by the 9th round where the referee will stop the fight.
There it is, Pacquiao via a technical knockout in the 9th round over Morales. Either way it goes, this fight is a win-win for both fighters and has fans of boxing, we should applaud both for their courage and willingness to get it on with the best in the game. A win for either of the two will almost certainly secure a spot in the top five pound for pound, and a loss will not be career ending as well, as we are talking about two of the best fighters in against each other.
Tickets priced at $400, $300, $200, $125 and $75, not including applicable service charges and taxes, go on sale Friday, Jan.14 at Noon at the MGM Grand Garden Arena box office. Tickets also are sold at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (Tower Records/WOW!, Smith’s Food and Drug Centers, Robinsons-May stores and Ritmo Latino locations.)
To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (702)-474-4000. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com. For room packages, availability and event ticket information about MGM Grand, call (800)-929-1111 or (702)-891-7777 or log onto the World Wide Web at www.mgmgrand.com.
The Morales vs. Pacquiao pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9pm ET/6pm PT on March 19, has a suggested retail price of $44.95, will be distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to over 50 million pay-per-view homes. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry.
