Removing themselves of their nationalistic tendencies, three of the country’s best boxing referees who had worked on Manny Pacquiao’s previous fights yesterday unanimously voted for the Filipino ring icon to tear apart the Mexican legend Erik Morales when they clash this Sunday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The three, all trusted officials of their respective sanctioning organizations, expressed in no-holds-barred mode in an exclusive interview their take of the upcoming fight, and agreed on one thing: Pacquiao will win in impressive fashion.
Angeles City-resident Bruce McTavish of New Zealand, who was the third man when Pacquiao defended his IBF superbantam crown against Fahprakorb Rakkiatgym in 2002, shared that his heart belongs to Manny in this fight, and that Pacquiao will win by KO. “May puso belong to Manny,” McTavish said, while also cautioning the Filipino hero on a possible Morales win on points as the fight is held in Morales’ second hometown which is Las Vegas.
Ferdinand Estrella, who worked Pacquiao’s latest outing against Fahsan 3K Battery in Taguig as well as numerous of the boxer’s 4-round fights and OPBF and WBC International bouts featuring the then lanky Pacquiao, also thinks the General Santos native will win the fight “because of his quickness and speed and from my observation Morales has been involved in more tougher fights so his body might not be able to handle Pacquiao’s attack.”
The third referee, Silvestre Abainza, who worked Pacquiao’s bout against Serikzhan Yeshmagambetov at the Luneta, says Morales will feel an “otherworldly pain” when he starts feeling the power of Pacquiao.
“Lalagnatin si Morales sa suntok ni Pacquiao pag tinanggap niya. Aabot ng 50 ang lagnat niya,” (Morales will get fever when he starts receiving Pacquiao’s punches. He’ll be up for a 50-degree fever) said the veteran top referee, who is also a Makati cop and faculty member of the PE Department of the Central Colleges of the Philippines.
