Las Vegas, Nevada–
What does it take to prepare for a title fight? Well, a number of ring experts and boxing insiders believe that former Mexican WBC featherweight and super feather title holder Erik “El Terrible” Morales has all ready gained a decided advantage.
All the hard work has all ready been done, as Morales gets ready to face the Filipino sensation Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao, when the two square off this Saturday at the MGM Grand in a HBO Pay-per-view showdown. Right now it is just smiling for the cameras as the Vegas PR people sell the fight.
Both men have been training for months, and more than the required work has been accomplished in the gym. Under Freddie Roach’s watchful gaze at his Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California, Pacquiao has been a relentless presence. Shadow boxing, ring work with Roach, physical conditioning, heavy bag and countless hours on the speed bag have all been part of the demanding regimen for the past three months.
With his father Jose Morales calling the shots at his training camp in the Otomi Mountains of Mexico, the man nicknamed “El Terrible” has also done everything imaginable to prepare for his confrontation with Pacquiao. Running at altitude in his daily roadwork exercise program, Morales also looks to be in excellent condition.
–Different Styles–
If there was a difference between the two fighters other than Morales has been on the world stage for a great deal longer, has been the different attitude in sparring partners for each respective training camp.
Most of the guys that Pacquiao has sparred against in preparing for the super featherweight battle have been afterthoughts in the 130-pound division.
Perhaps it is the philosophy that comes from being raised above his father’s gym in Tijuana but the mindset of the Morales’ clan has always been spar against the best opponents in preparing for each fight.
Morales has been working with former world champion Johnny Tapia (58-4-2, 28 KO’s), as he prepares to climb through the ropes to battle Pacquiao. Granted that the 38-year-old former Albuquerque world champion’s better days are behind him but at 5’6″ and with a 66-inch reach, Tapia makes a perfect foil for Morales.
Tapia is preparing for a fight with Frankie Archuleta, on April 15, so the former WBO super flyweight, WBA bantamweight and IBF featherweight king hasn’t been easing off the throttle in training camp. Along with Tapia, Morales has also been working with talented Colombia featherweight contender Victor Polo (34-4-3, 24 KO’s), in his preparation for Pacquiao.
The rangy southpaw Polo is also preparing for a title fight, as he gets ready to challenger IBF and WBA 126-pound champion Juan Manuel Marquez set for May 7, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Polo is coming off a disappointing draw against WBO featherweight titleholder Scotland’s Scott Harrison, last January at Braehead Arena, in Glasgow, Scotland. A number of ring writers believed that Polo had done enough in that bout to earn the win, however, fighting the hometown hero proved to be a tough obstacle for the Colombian to overcome.
Along with Tapia and Polo, Morales has also spent considerable time working with two young unbeaten featherweight prospects, Venezuelan Edwin Valero (12-0, 12 KO’s) and American banger Steven Luevano (27-0, 13 KO’s).
–Camp Pacquiao–
While Morales has been rattling cages in Mexico against proven opposition it has been a different story in Hollywood.
Pacquiao has spent his time sparring against relative unknowns as he prepares for the biggest fight in his career. David Rodela (0-0-1) is a 5’11” featherweight from Oxnard, California without a win on his pro resume and David Avila (0-2), a winless welterweight are just two examples of the caliber of Pacquiao’s opposition.
However, 23-year-old lightweight Raymundo Beltran (16-2, 8 KO’s), who holds wins over Carlos Rocha, Edel Ruiz and Roque Cassiani on his record has presented a far stiffer sparring challenge for Pacquiao. The same can be said for Ugandan super featherweight veteran Justin Juuko (39-8-1, 28 KO’s), however, the African has a reputation as a catcher. On Juuko’s resume are three significant knockout losses to Floyd Mayweather Jr, Diego Corrales, and Miguel Angel Cotto.
Most recently, Juuko lost his last title bid when he was TKO’d in two rounds by WBU super featherweight champion Michael Gomez, last May, in Widnes, England.
The most talented of the group has been Israel Vasquez (37-3, 27 KO’s), the current IBF super bantamweight champion. The 27-year-old Vasquez, who fights out of West Covina, California via Mexico, has knockout victories over Jorge Eliecer Julio, Jose Luis Valbuena and Artyom Simonyan on his record but at 5’6″ and 122-pounds, he hardly matches up as a Morales clone.
Nevertheless, Pacquiao approaches his showdown with Morales on March 19 in excellent condition and is fully prepared to take on the Mexican legend. While the oddsmakers and the Vegas suits still have Pacquiao, as the slight favorite the jury is still out in regards to Filipino’s sparring partners.
