LESS than two weeks from now, Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao will once again engage in a donnybrook with Mexican legend Erik Morales at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
But unknown to many, the titanic rematch between the planet’s most dreaded 130-pounders almost flew out of the window when Morales lost to American Zahir Raheem last September.
Such was the confession of Pacquiao’s American promoters Gary Shaw and Shelly Finkel, the prime movers of the Pacquiao-Morales II card along with Bob Arum, who considered pairing Pacquiao against another fighter after Morales’ surprising setback in Top Rank’s “Double Trouble” presentation at the Los Angeles Staples Center last Sept. 10.
“Shelly and I had a discussion (about the Pacquiao-Morales rematch) that night,” Shaw was quoted by Journal Online yesterday. “It was up in the air at that moment,” said Finkel. This was because the “Double Trouble” fight card – which also included Pacquiao taking on Mexican Hector Velasquez in a non-title bout – was merely meant as tune-up spectacle for the two star pugilists, which were already primed for a return bout after their dramatic slugfest at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas last March 19, which that ended with Morales winning by unanimous decision.
And while Morales stumbled to Raheem, Pacman butchered Velasquez inside six rounds – making Shaw and Finkel rethink their game plans, and names like Juan Marco Antonio Barrera or Juan Manuel Marquez immediately popped up.
“We would have looked at the regular guys, whether it be you know, a rematch with Barrera, a rematch with Marquez or whoever,” said Finkel, who in the end, eventually realized that pairing up Pacquiao with Morales once again was still the best scenario.
“It happened too quick”, said Finkel. “But we felt it was the best thing for Manny to avenge the loss and then hopefully, he does that and we can go on to a third match or a Barrera fight or whoever else.”
Morales’ eagerness to trade punches with Pacquiao again also made it easier for the deal to come into fruition. “We just thought that they (Morales) may not want it and that they may want to take an easier fight,” said Finkel. “But they wanted it and we wanted it.”
