With all due respect to Zab Judah?s dramatic knockout of welterweight champ Cory Spinks in front of a packed house in St. Louis, and Antonio Margarito nearly knocking the ear off of an opponent in Atlantic City, the 2005 boxing season officially begins on Saturday night.
It?s Las Vegas. It?s an entertaining, even if grossly overpriced, pay-per-view slugfest between Erik ?El Terrible? Morales and Manny Pacquiao.
Neither hold so-called ?world? titles. Neither is American or speaks English terribly well. But if it?s action fans are looking for, Morales-Pacquiao is a can?t miss.
I?m a believer that Morales? three-fight series with Mexican rival Marco Antonio Barrera is the best rivalry in the sport, and the best three-fight series since the turn of the century. Because of the skill level of both combatants, it?s even been better than the wildly popular Gatti-Ward trilogy.
But while entertained in all three, I?m kind of glad Morales and Barrera went separate ways after November?s thriller won by Barrera. No doubt, a fourth fight would be great ? highly quality, still bitter rivals and probably another controversial decision ? but we?ve been there done that with Morales-Barrera.
It is surprising that Morales chose Pacquiao rather than move up to the talent rich lightweight division, but there were good reasons that he likely did so.
Morales? power has diminished every time he?s moved up a weight class, and he?s seemingly granite chin has been more exposed. Jesus Chavez, Carlos Hernandez and Barrera all hurt Morales at 130. A move to 135 against the likes of Jose Luis Castillo or Diego Corrales would likely provide even more severe challenges.
While Pacquiao is a big puncher, he started his career as a flyweight, and as Juan Manuel Marquez proved over the last 10 rounds of his draw with ?Pac-Man? last year, if you can see the punches coming, you can more easily withstand the power.
That will be key. If Pacquiao’s speed gives Morales as much trouble as it did Barrera in 2003, and in the first round against Marquez, the Philipino southpaw has a chance.
Even still, I?m taking Morales by decision, and fairly decisively, probably somewhere in the 116-112 range. And I?m also predicting in the post-fight interview that Morales mentions how much better he did against Pacquiao than Barrera did.
