Las Vegas, Nevada (MGM Grand)–
It was not a night for those feint of heart.
By the time it was over Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao’s face had been turned into a crimson mask. And the front of Erik “El Terrible” Morales’ pristine white trunks had had been transformed into a pinkish hue from Pacquiao’s blood.
Size, reach, and style proved to be the difference, as the former WBC world champion Morales pounded out a brutal but close 12-round unanimous decision over the Filipino star Pacquiao in front of 14,623 screaming fans.
There were no knockdowns but numerous times over the course of the twelve savage rounds both men looked like they might be headed for the canvas. There were no titles on the line; instead it was a battle for pride to determine the best 130-pounder on the planet.
An accidental clash of heads followed by two right hands to the face reduced Pacquiao’s right eye to a gory slit and he fought the second half of the bout with blood pouring from the cut that covered half his face.
Picking his spots, moving and firing wicked counter right hands, Morales repeatedly nailed Pacquiao with searing shots and piled up enough points to win the super featherweight showdown on all three judges’ scorecards. Pacquiao was relentless and he repeatedly landed wicked combinations but in the end Morales’ titanium chin and searing right hands prevailed.
Judge Paul Smith, Dave Moretti and Chuck Giampa all scored the bout 115-113, for the winner Morales.
“He was a tough guy. I hit him with everything,” Morales said after the victory. “I knew the guy was quick. I knew boxing would be the key because he was so fast.”
The angriest man in the arena after the fight was Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach. The talented trainer claimed the outcome of the fight might have been different if his fighter hadn’t been forced to wear a brand of gloves he didn’t like and that he wasn’t accustom to using.
Instead of the Mexican brand Reyes gloves, generally considered a puncher’s glove, Pacquiao fought with softer gloves, known as Winning Gloves, because his promoter Murad Muhammad had agreed to the different model in the contract. Following the loss, Roach cut the gloves from Pacquiao’s hands and angrily waved them at the promoter.
“I would have liked to use my gloves, but I had to go with what was in the contract,” Pacquiao said. “I will fight him again anytime, anywhere.”
It was a close fight with a lot of close rounds,” Roach confided after the defeat. “Morales landed the bigger punches but Manny landed more combinations.”
–Blasting Away–
The southpaw Pacquiao (39-3-2, 31 KO’s) opened up against Morales (48-2, 34 KO’s) early in the first round, employing a darting style and whistling left crosses to the face. However, at the 1:17 mark of the 1st, Morales (130) returned fire and drove the Filipino back across the ring after nailing him with three sharp right’s to the head that propelled Pacquiao (129 ?) momentarily halfway through the ropes.
With most of the fans standing and screaming, both men continued teeing off with scalding shots, as Pacquiao, General Santos City, Philippines, shifted his attack downstairs and drilled Morales to the body. With 22-seconds to go in the opening stanza, Pacquiao nailed Morales, Tijuana, Mexico with a clean left cross flush on the chin. Pacquiao continued to pull the trigger and he clipped Morales with a right hand to the head followed by three more riveting shots to the ribs. Morales, 28 bent double at the waist and appeared hurt, however, the Mexican star suddenly rallied and scored with a combination to the face that pinned Pacquiao against the ropes. At the bell, the crowd immediately rose and screamed their collective approval.
Early in the second round, Pacquiao, 5’6″, scored with several stiff right jabs. However, Morales remained poised and ready to strike and with 1:35 to go in the 2nd, he drilled the former IBF super bantamweight titleholder’s chin with a searing counter right hand to the chin. Pacquiao was forced to give ground but within seconds, both men were back to firing and landing. With 17-seconds to go in the 2nd, Morales, 5’8″, scored with a right hand to the body and a right uppercut to the chin as Pacquiao bounced off the ropes. Both men flurried just before the bell, but Morales utilizing his size advantage tagged the shorter man with a crisp right hand to the face.
The equalizer of the night remained Morales’ straight right hand and with 1:52 to go in the 3rd, he nailed Pacquiao with a crushing lead right cross. The shot drove the Filipino back and Morales continued to land but Pacquiao answered by bouncing three digging shots off the Mexican’s rib cage. Pacquiao began moving more while Morales responded with several well-timed stiff left jabs and two more right hands down the middle. With 53-seconds to go in the 3rd, Pacquiao caught Morales with a rapid-fire three-punch combination to the head. The Mexican star returned fire with two right hands that rocketed off Pacquiao’s profile. At the end of the round, as Pacquiao sat on his stool he spit blood into his bucket while his trainer Roach rinsed his mouth.
Despite all the fireworks, Morales maintained his composure and with 2:12 to go in the 4th, Morales tattooed the Filipino with yet another lead right hand to the face. Moments later, Pacquiao scored with a sharp left cross but Morales immediately answered with his own stinging right hand to the face. The punch drove Pacquiao backwards and with the crowd again screaming, Morales connected with two more left hooks and another solid right hand down the middle. With 44-seconds remaining in the 4th, Morales drove the smaller man back into the ropes and he scored with a five-shot combination to the head and body while Pacquiao lingered in the corner.
–Bloody Fifth–
The fifth round began with the chant of “Mexico, Mexico, Mexico” echoing off the walls of the MGM Grand. At the 2:34 mark of the 5th, Morales stepped inside and clipped his opponent with a sharp right uppercut to the face that snapped Pacquiao’s head straight back. Moments later, Pacquiao returned fire and tagged the Mexican with a sharp left cross to the face. The turning point of the fight came at the midway point of the 5th, as both men trade leather in close quarters. Morales scored with whistling combinations of lefts and rights, however, as Pacquiao dipped back inside there was a nasty clash of heads that opened up a brutal diagonal cut over the Filipino’s right eye and through his eyebrow. Morales kept letting his hands go and he caught Pacquiao with a searing left hook to the face and another riveting right cross to the chin. Pacquiao answered with leather but blood began curling down the right side of his face, as the Filipino dabbed at his damaged right eye.
Referee Joe Cortez called time and the ringside physician Dr. William Capanna climbed through the ropes and examined Pacquiao’s damaged right eye. It was strange enough to see the doctor inside the ring while the fight was still in progress rather than leaning over the ropes. However, it was stranger still at the amount of time that ticked by as Dr. Capanna made his determination if Pacquiao could continue. The referee Cortez maintained the cut was caused by a punch, however, ringside replays of the action revealed that the wound was caused by a headbutt.
Pacquiao convinced the doctor he could still see but after the conclusion of the bout, the fighter confided that he had struggled with the vision in his damaged right eye for the rest of the fight.
With 50-seconds to go in the round, Morales rocked Pacquiao with a right hook that caught the Filipino behind his left ear. Nevertheless, with 35-seconds to go in the 5th, Pacquiao scored with a two-punch combination and Morales hit reverse gear. Sticking and scoring with his left jab, Morales drove Pacquiao back into the ropes and landed another solid right hand to the head, as blood poured from the Filipino’s ravaged right eye.
Pacquiao’s cutman Lenny DeJesus worked valiantly on the wound but blood continued to cascade down the right side of his face and there was also noticeable swelling under his right eye.
There was a sense of desperation from Pacquiao to open the 6th, as he attempted to score a knockout. With 1:37 to go in the round both men connected with digging body shots in the center of the ring. Morales retreated but there were flecks of Pacquiao’s blood splattered on the Mexican’s chest and one long red streak down the front of his white trunks. Morales remained methodical and with 16-seconds remaining in the round, he drilled Pacquiao with two hard left jabs and even a harder right cross between the eyes.
–No Prisoners–
Pacquiao was still dangerous but Morales began controlling the tempo and the pace of the bout. With 1:48 to go in the 7th, Morales landed a clubbing right hand to the side of Pacquiao’s skull that knocked him off stride. Morales went back to work and managed to get inside Pacquiao’s looping punches and score with hammering body blows. Morales connected with another swift right cross to the face and then another screaming right hand to the belly. Pacquiao responded with a scalding left cross that thudded off Morales’ profile. With little under a minute to go in the 7th, Morales nailed Pacquiao with a brutal right hand to the body just above the beltline. It was a withering blow and with 42-seconds remaining in the round, Morales hurt Pacquiao again with a punishing lead right cross that froze Pacquiao in his tracks for an instant. The punch wobbled the Filipino and he retreated three strides.
The fireworks continued and both men flurried over the last twenty-seconds of the 7th, as each fighter landed with viscous volleys. Morales scored with three crushing right hands to the chin but Pacquiao answered with an eight-shot combination of whistling blows that rattled off the Mexican legend’s skull. The fighters stood toe-to-toe and traded shots until the bell sounded and then the fans stood once more and screamed their appreciation.
With the crowd chanting Morales’ name and the sold-out area fans standing, the Mexican champion opened the eighth round once again by scoring with sharp right hands down the middle. Blood continued to pour from the cut above Pacquiao right eye and by midway through the round the entire right side of his face was simply covered in red. At the 1:38 mark of the 8th, Morales hurt Pacquiao with a clean right hand to the jaw. Pacquiao rocked back on his heels but somehow remained upright. Morales opened up and scored with two more scalding right hands that knocked Pacquiao back several steps. Just when it appeared as if Pacquiao was in trouble, he rallied yet again and jolted Morales with a two shot combination to the head at the 30-second mark of the round.
With blood curling down the right side of his face in rivulets, Pacquiao clipped the retreating Morales with two more stinging left hands to the head. Before the close of the round, Morales responded with two brutal right hands that richochtted off Pacquiao’s gory head only to follow with another punishing left hook to the skull. It was another great round and the once more the Vegas’ boxing fans stood and cheered the combatants.
–One More Run–
Amazingly Pacquiao rallied in the 9th, and with 1:10 to go in the round, he staggered Morales with a three-shot combination to the head including a hammering left cross to the chin. Morales sagged backwards and Pacquiao drilled the Mexican again with another left cross to the head. Morales was forced to give ground, as Pacquiao leapt inside to deliver yet another sharp left hand to the face. Remarkably, Morales shifted gears and moved forward winging punches. The warriors traded leather again with another flurry before the bell and Pacquiao connected with two more sharp left hands to the head.
Pacquiao continued to find the range in the 10th, however, after eating leather for the first half of the round, Morales set his feet and then nailed the Filipino with a left hook to the head and a short right cross between the eyes. With blood pouring from his wound, Pacquiao slapped his gloves together and gestured for the Mexican fighter to bring it on. Seconds later, Pacquiao scored but Morales responded with a sharp chopping right cross that exploded off the Filipino’s jaw. Pacquiao attempted to duck under the storm of blows but Morales landed again with another winging right hand to the head. Pacquiao’s body bent back, as he attempted to escape but Morales caught him on the ropes and repeatedly scored with more clubbing shots from all angles.
The noise in the arena reached deafening proportions, as Morales hammered away while Pacquiao struggled to escape from the ropes. Once again Pacquiao managed to get free and land one more whip-like right hand that caught Morales flush. Pacquiao lost his mouthpiece but the fighters kept trading shots while the crowd screamed. The boxers returned to trading leather, as Pacquiao connected with three hard combinations to the head. However, Morales’ overall size and strength could not be denied and he mauled his opponent with another volley of clubbing punches to the head. Finally with 41-seconds to go in the 10th, Cortez was able to call time and replace Pacquiao’s mouthpiece. Across the ring, Morales took a break and squatted in the corner. When the action resumed, chants of Mexico again filled the arena and Morales surprisingly fought the last 20-seconds of the high velocity round out of a left-handed stance.
Pacquiao answered the bell for the 11th, with even more blood streaming down the right side of his face and his eye turning a gruesome shade of purple while swelling shut. Within seconds, the super featherweights traded wicked blasts, took a step back and returned to exchanging leather. No quarter was asked and none was given. Working behind his ruthless left jab, Morales repeatedly drilled his opponent and then pulled the trigger on two punishing right crosses midway through the round. Pacquiao answered with a short left hand in close quarters that thudded off Morales’ face. Moments later, Pacquiao scored with a flurry of shots and Morales answered by shaking his head as if to say, “no way.” However, with 47-seconds remaining in the 11th, and Morales lingering near the ropes, Pacquiao unloaded another flurry of punches that rocketed off the Mexican’s skull.
–Last Chance–
Inexplicably Morales shifted stances yet again with 1:50 to go in the final round, as he elected to fight out of a southpaw stance. Almost immediately Pacquiao exploited Morales’ questionable tactics and he nailed him with a straight left hand down the middle. Morales did score with two right hooks but Pacquiao jolted him with an overhand left flush on the chin with 1:31 to go in the fight. Both men traded wicked blasts in the center of the ring as once more the boxers went toe-to-toe, while the fans stood and screamed their encouragement to the athletes.
Pacquiao caught Morales with three riveting left hands to the chin but Morales stood his ground and kept trading punches. Long, winging, looping shots were exchanged in the center of the ring, as the fighters took turns hammering their opponent. Pacquiao got the better of the exchanges and with blood gushing from the frightening gash that knifed down through his right eyebrow he kept throwing punches and Morales answered with his own leather. The crescendo of the cheering reached its zenith at the bell and both men raised their gloves in victory.
Within seconds, Morales was lifted aloft by his cornermen and carried around the ring. Pacquiao finished smiling and with his seconds still trying to stop the flow of crimson. When the decision was finally announced to the crowd, Morales calmly raised his right fist in triumph. Across the ring, Pacquiao buried his face into the shoulder of one of his countrymen and wept.
The Filipino hero had ended up on the short end of the scoring but on this night, in this arena no one really lost. Both men were victorious and the real winners were the fans and the sport.
At the end of the night there were deep red traces of claret splattered throughout the ring and the sky blue flooring looked like a Jackson Pollack canvas. Blood was the medium and the message.
