LAS VEGAS?Erik Morales, whose private Lear jet had to make a forced landing for security reasons on Tuesday, made his entrance into the MGM Grand at 7:45 p.m. (11:45 a.m. Wednesday in Manila) oozing with bravado. A handful of Mexicans called out his name to show their support to which Morales, 28, responded by raising his right hand to signify victory on Saturday night when he collides with Manny Pacquiao, 26, at the Grand Garden Arena.
“I am satisfied with my condition. I am working hard and I know Manny Pacquiao is great fighter but I am ready for what he?s going to bring on comes fight night,” said Morales as translated by lady sports journalist Dyan Castillejo, who is town to cover the fight for ABS-CBN.
Morales, a slight underdog, answered several questions thrown by the Mexican media and even signed autographs, posed for pictures and shook hands with countrymen who waited for over two hours for his arrival.
Clad in a dark blue and gray athletic jacket and dark sports pants, Morales came in so late that curious onlookers and some members of the press were no longer around when he arrived from Mexico City, where he boarded a private jet provided by his promotional outfit, Top Rank.
Even a mariachi band tapped to provide fanfare for his arrival originally scheduled at 5:30 p.m. was no longer around when Morales came accompanied by chief handler Fernando Beltran on board a stretch limousine that pulled over right in front of the main entrance of the sprawling hotel that boasts over 5,000 rooms.
It was later learned that Morales? jet had to make a landing in the border town of Nogales in southern Arizona, a popular port of entry into US by travelers.
“They (immigration officers) had to check their documents,” said Top Rank publicist Lee Samuels. “It was a random check and because of the events relating to 9-11 (Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks), this had to be done.”
Beltran, in a quick interview just before he joined Morales for the VIP check-in, expressed confidence that his boxer would emerge triumphant.
“He?s (Morales) got a lot of heart and a lot of balls,” said Beltran. “He?s ready to fight and beat Pacquiao.”
But Pacquiao?s trainer, Freddie Roach, has a different version of what will happen.
“Manny is right where he is supposed to be,” said Roach after Pacquiao?s workout at the IBA Compound near the MGM Grand.
“And now he is making moves before I call them. He is a machine. You just wind him up and put him in the right direction. Last fight was not that good, but in this fight, you?ll see a scientific Manny Pacquiao.”
“Erik hasn?t been knocked out and I know Manny has the power to become the first to knock Morales out,” added Roach.
Two other world title fights are on tap with Martin Castillo of Mexico staking the World Boxing Association super-flyweight against ex-fly ruler Eric Morel. In the other title match, Jorge Arce of Mexico, formerly the light-fly champion, and Hussein Hussein of Australia, slug it out for the interim World Boxing Council fly throne.
Also worth watching is Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., the unbeaten son of the legendary Julio Cesar Sr.
On Wednesday lunch, Pacquiao and Morales will come face to face for the third time in a press conference at Studios A&B inside the MGM Grand.
