A Philippines flag flew from a crutch not far from the ring where Manny Pacquiao’s blood flowed from a cut about his right eye and down his face like tears.
There was no way to stop the blood. No way to stop Erik Morales, either.
But there were plenty of reasons to do it all over again. Morales’ unanimous decision over Pacquiao Saturday night in a 130-pound passion play at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand exhausted the fighters and a capacity crowd of 14,623, yet left everybody with just enough energy to talk about a rematch.
For Morales, a sequel represents another opportunity to forget about Marco Antonio Barrera until, or if, there is a fourth fight with the rival who erodes his claim on being the best Mexican of his generation.
“I feel vindicated,” said a weary Morales, who shed the petulance he displayed after losing to Barrera last November. “For people who didn’t believe in me, well, I hope they start believing.”
For Pacquiao, there was still belief in victory. Morales’ powerful right hand could not extinguish it. Pacquiao was unhappy with the gloves. The popular Filipino usually wears Reyes, ironically a Mexican-made brand that power-punchers favor because of less padding around the knuckles. Pacquiao promoter Murad Muhammad negotiated away the right to wear Reyes.
Instead, the contract forced him to wear Winning, the brand favored by Morales. After the decision – 115-113 on all three cards – was announced, Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach cut off the gloves and waved them in disgust at Muhammad.
“Winning gloves are like pillows,” said Roach, who said Pacquiao wore the brand for the first time in a major bout in the United States.
A gash across his eyebrow was suffered in the fifth round, the result of either a left hand or head butt. No pillow did that.
Officially, it was a punch. Video replay was inconclusive. The ringside physician let the fight continue, although it was evident Pacquiao’s vision was impaired. He admitted as much. He lost five of the last eight rounds.
The glove controversy was perhaps a distraction. Tension within the Pacquiao camp was evident. Roach didn’t hide his frustration at Muhammad, who appeared uncomfortable with Shelly Finkel’s addition to Pacquiao’s management. Distractions could account for a two-point difference. But that’s speculative math. The blood was real.
“Let Manny’s cut heal and we’d be more than pleased to do a rematch,” Morales promoter Bob Arum said. “The gloves are a non-issue. Fighters who wear Reyes always wind up with broken hands.”
Maybe, but the gallant Pacquiao, who didn’t complain, should get the right to wear whatever he wants in an inevitable rematch.
Double drama
Jorge Arce left Hussein Hussein seeing double with a super, super fight in a 10th round stoppage before Morales-Pacquiao. The successive bouts were the best double on a single card that anybody can remember.
Arce’s gritty victory also was a testament to how good retired Phoenix junior-flyweight Michael Carbajal was. In the 11th round of his final fight six years ago, a beaten Carbajal, who was five years past his prime, stopped Arce with one punch, an astonishing right hand.
Big win for a little guy
And there might be Valley successor to Carbajal on the horizon. Marco Rangel won a national amateur title Saturday night at 106 pounds at the USA Boxing Championships. Carbajal won the same title before he went to a silver medal at the 1988 Olympics.
