Three time world champion Erik Morales (48-3, 34 KOs) is sounding extremely confident as he finishes up his training camp out of Queretaro, Mexico. Morales is set to face Filipino icon Manny Pac-Man Pacquiao (40-3-2, 31 KOs) at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas on January 21st. “They say they’re going to be more aggressive. Well good luck to them. The problem is they have me in the front of them and I don’t back down. Pacquio’s people are talking too much. They talk and talk. Lets see if they can execute all those things they talk about,” said Morales.
The much mentioned glove controversy is clearly something Morales is fed up with. “The gloves are not an issue. It’s something the Pacquiao camp is using to hype themselves up psychologically. I think your training and physical state of mind is what’s most important. It’s not an issue I want to talk about anymore. The most important thing is to let the leather (chingazos) fly.
“They want to believe that they can win and they want justify their last loss. Now since the gloves are not an issue in Las Vegas there can be no excuses. We worked really hard during this camp and were going to do whatever we can to win.”
Morales has been involved in some of the most exciting fights of the last twenty years and has always made it known that he fights to give a grand spectacle. “I have a real desire to give the people a reason to believe in our team again. It’s one of the things that drives me to win this fight.”
After fighting Pacquio a first time, Morales truly believes that the Filipinos power and speed can and will neutralized. “After having fought him I don’t think he can knock me out. I’m going to take risks and improvise a little bit depending on how the fight develops.”
Asked if he would think about retiring if he lost, Morales responded, “I don’t think about losing. If I lose, it will be because Pacquio really was better than me or because God just didn’t want to me to win that night. I’m really well prepared and I will not be losing.”
Top Rank chief Bob Arum summed up his feelings about this attractive Pay Per View. “In these past few months, too many have paid to watch a fight and they got a chess match. With Morales and Pacquio you will see a fight, an entertaining fight, a dramatic fight and the fans will actually get their money’s worth.”
The pay per view will also include WBA super flyweight champ Martin ‘Gallito’ Castillo taking on KO artist Alexander Munoz and Kelly Pavlik taking on Jose Luis Zertuche in a middleweight crossroads fight. The broadcast starts at 6:00 p.m. and the price is $44.95.
January’s edition of the Aztec Warrior Chronicles by Feature Writer Ralph Gonzalez is now available: click here
