An HBO double header is set to take place on September 10th that will feature the two warriors who took part in a classic battle last March; Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales. This card will act as a promotional tool to set up the lucrative and anticipated rematch between the two super featherweights. That is assuming that they both win their fights in September at the Staples Center of course. Their scheduled foes are not to be taken lightly even though they are names not familiar to most boxing fans. Some are criticizing the choice of opponents for Morales and Pacquiao, but if there are any two boxers in the sport who deserve a slightly easier fight it is these two superstars.
Morales is set to take on Zahir Raheem, an Olympic Bronze Medalist in the 1996 games best known for losing a unanimous decision to referee Robert Gonzales in a match where he was supposed to be fighting Rocky Juarez. Raheem is a clever, slick boxer with good fundamentals. “Z-Man” has led a frustrating career because of his inability to secure significant matches. He has finally hit pay dirt in the form of a fight with “El Terrible” so you know that Zahir will be geared up for this one.
Morales embodies a level headed, professional approach to the game which has allowed him to be one of the most consistent technicians in boxing. He could be at a weight disadvantage though. Erik has not scored a knockout since winning the WBC Super Featherweight belt in February of 2004. Zahir probably has the edge in speed so that could cause trouble for the Tijuana native. Still, Morales is clearly the favorite to win based on his recent accomplishments.
Hector Velazquez will be Pacquiao’s adversary for the evening. For those who are not familiar with Hector, he is a heavy handed and durable. I would be stretching though if I said that he was anything more than a very good club fighter. He lacks the extra talent and spectacular physicals gifts of someone like “Pac Man”, but he will show up on September 10th ready to go to work for all 12 rounds. Velazquez is a gritty brawler with a ton of experience and history has shown that that combination could spell trouble when you’d least expect it.
These two matches are similar to the Oscar De La Hoya vs. Felix Sturm/Bernard Hopkins vs. Robert Allen PPV. That was an event where if both won their respective matches then they would meet in a super fight. Hopkins handled his business just fine, but De La Hoya struggled against Sturm; probably because he took the German lightly. Looking ahead to future showdown instead of focusing on the business at hand can be extremely dangerous.
This is especially true for Manny Pacquiao. Three of his last four fights have been against great boxers (and I don’t use the term great loosely). However, he has a loss and a draw still stuck in his memory. Fighting Hector Velazquez could be a blessing or it could be disastrous. Beating up on a good, but not too dangerous guy can do a lot to boost Manny’s confidence level and help him forget about some of the frustrations he encountered against Morales and Marquez. Being in the right frame of mind is crucial at succeeding in this sport. If Pacquiao comes in out of shape he could get out hustled like De La Hoya against Felix Sturm. Similarly if Manny does not respect Velazquez and pushes for an early knockout, he could end up like Vivian Harris did against Carlos Maussa. There is no such match up in championship level boxing that is a “sure thing”, but, if Pacquiao can stayed focused on the task at hand he will beat the rugged, but beatable Hector Velazquez.
You can be sure that Zahir Raheem and Hector Velazquez do not think of themselves as characters of a sub plot in a commercial for the real fight. They are coming to win.
