Two of the classiest boxers in the world, Erik Morales and Manny Pacquiao, share the limelight in a tournament to be televised live from Los Angeles on SuperSport on Sunday morning. Three hours of live coverage starts at 03:00 on CSN and SuperSport 1 Morales, ranked No 1 junior lightweight challenger by the WBC and WBA, fights Zahir Raheem for the vacant WBC international junior lightweight (also known as super featherweight) title. The winner will get a shot at the champion, Marco Antonio Barrera.
Pacquiao, ranked No 3 by the WBC, takes on Hector Velazquez for the vacant WBC lightweight belt.
“The Pacman,” from the Philippines, has stopped 31 of his opponents in winning 39 of his 44 fights. He is rated as one of the most exciting, and dangerous, boxers in the world. Velazquez, another all-action Mexican, has had 55 bouts, winning 32 and stopping 31 of his opponents.
Mexican Morales, 29, has lost only twice in a 50-fight professional career and has stopped 34 of his opponents. Raheem, 28, has a record of 26-1, with 16 stoppages, in 27 fights.
On the same card, WBC light flyweight champion Eric Ortez, defends his title against former Olympic Games star Brian Viloria, who is unbeaten after 17 fights. Ortez stands at 24-4-1.
Another top-class fight scheduled for this weekend will be held in Cardiff, where WBO super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe takes on Kenya’s Evans Ashira, who now lives in Denmark.
Welsh hero Calzaghe, 32, is unbeaten in 39 fights and has stopped 31 of his opponents. His opponent, rated only as a middleweight, stands at 24 wins and one loss, with 13 stoppages to his credit.
And in Sheffield, England, on Friday night, Clinton Woods defends his IBF light heavyweight against No 1 challenger Julio Gonzales.
