LAS VEGAS ? Manny Pacquiao?s steady rise in boxing?s dangerous ladder traces its roots to his power, speed, and dogged determination. But when he tried to scale another rung on the way to the top, the Pinoy fell hard, face first.
Pacquiao became the latest proof that in boxing, the conventional wisdom is that a big man almost always beats his smaller foe.
Shorter by two inches in height and another four inches in reach, Pacquiao walked often into an ambush of jabs, straights and uppercuts. When the punches stopped coming, a bruised and bloodied Pacquiao saw Erik Morales walk away from the MGM Grand Arena a unanimous decision winner, earning a 115-113 nod on all judges? scorecards yesterday.
Fighting for the first time at 130 pounds, Pacquiao did not have the power that he so viciously wielded at the 122-pound weight limit. He did land direct hits in the middle rounds, but Morales ate the blows like soft English muffin.
Accuracy was another problem for Pacquiao. He couldn?t find Morales with a sniper?s scope. Pacquiao threw a total of 894 punches, landing only 217 for a meager 24 percent rate. He belted 349 jabs, connecting only on 34 for a mere 10 percent. Pacquiao?s power punches were also off-target, 183-of-545 (34 percent).
Morales didn?t throw as many punches as his foe, but he compensated his lack of volume with effectiveness.
Morales landed 265 of 714 punches (37 percent), 96 of 303 jabs (32 percent) and 169 of 411 power punches (41 percent).
?He was a tough guy. I hit him with everything,? Morales said. ?I knew the guy was quick. I knew boxing would be the key because he was so fast.?
Pacquiao, a staggering -170 favorite before the bell sounded, started slow. He tried attacking Morales early, but the wiry Mexican speared him with laser jabs and blinding combinations.
Pacquiao?s eyes began showing signs of swelling in the fourth round. And when the fifth round came along, a headbutt, which was ruled as a punch, opened a nasty gash just above Pacquiao?s right eye. It was the kiss of death.
Great exchanges highlighted rounds seven and eight, but Pacquiao seemed always at the short end of it. He rallied gallantly in the final three rounds, but it was too late. Morales had already accumulated enough points to deny a reversal.
Pacquiao?s camp attributed much of the loss to the kind of gloves used. Trainer Freddie Roach said in the post-fight press conference that the Winning brand were soft ?like pillows.?
The Pacquiao camp had thought that the Cleto Reyes gloves, which favors a hard puncher like Pacquiao will be used in last night?s duel. But the fight contract stipulated otherwise, creating a whirlwind of controversy that ended with Morales wearing his favored brand.
Besides the gloves, Roach told reporters that they made a mistake: ?We stayed away from our game plan a little bit and we didn?t go to his body enough.?
Pacquiao also touched on the issue of gloves when he addressed the media before going to the hospital. He admitted that his cut impeded his vision: ?I can?t see with my right eye (from the sixth) until the 12th round.?
In the end, Pacquiao was a gracious loser, congratulating Morales for a fight well fought. Pacquiao confessed that seeing a lot of ?government officials and the First Gentleman? in the arena put a lot of pressure on him.
?But I tried my best,? he said, leaving the press conference with his body battered, his morale shaken, and his future uncertain.
