LAS VEGAS – Only the threat of an F-15 fighter jet could bring down Erik Morales.
Morales, rarely off his feet in a major fight, was in a private plane that was forced to land Tuesday in Nogales.
Immigration authorities ordered Morales’ Lear Jet to land as it crossed the border, en route from a training camp in the mountains near Mexico City for Las Vegas and a 130-pound clash Saturday night with Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand. Morales manager Fernando Beltran said nobody aboard argued, not with all that firepower parked and waiting at nearby Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson.
“They searched the plane and asked for our paperwork,” Beltran said. “We wound up being there for about two hours and 15 minutes.”
Only time was lost, although there was some wear and tear on some vocal chords. A mariachi band was on hand at the MGM Grand to welcome Morales, a popular super-featherweight from Tijuana. The band played – and played – until Morales finally arrived.
Morales (47-2, 37 KOs) decided to go directly from his training camp to Las Vegas in an attempt to avoid distractions. In part, he blames his loss to Marco Antonio Barrera on Nov. 27 in the 2004 Fight of the Year, also in Las Vegas, on an itinerary that had him stop in Tijuana.
He said he was sluggish at the start of a narrow loss by decision, perhaps because of events after he broke camp.
At a news conference Wednesday, Morales was quiet yet full praise for Pacquiao (39-2-2, 30 KOs), a popular Filipino who scored an 11th-round stoppage of Barrera in 2003.
Beltran, however, didn’t practice any polite diplomacy. He is angered at reports that Pacquiao’s camp is talking about an early knockout of Morales. He offered to bet Pacquiao’s management $100,000 that Morales would win. But nobody in Pacquiao’s corner would take him up on it. Morales attorney Nick Khan said a wager would be unethical.
“Fine, then tell them to quit talking,” Beltran said. “I keep reading that Pacquiao is going to take Erik in one round or two rounds. If somebody is going to quit, it’s Manny Pacquiao, not Erik Morales.”
