Erik Morales said he has little respect for Manny Pacquiao’s power and insinuated it’s overrated in an interview published in the February 2006 issue of KO Magazine.
The comments added fuel to the fire that’s expected to trigger an explosion when Pacquiao and Morales face off in their rematch at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas tomorrow night (Sunday morning, Manila).
“Actually, he didn’t hit that hard,” said Morales, referring to the power that Pacquiao unleashed in their first meeting last March. “He’s not that powerful as people make him out to be.”
Morales, 29, said retirement is far from his mind and he plans to continue fighting and maybe, invade the lightweight ranks.
“I can still do a lot of things,” he said. “I’m still at 130 pounds and my career isn’t over yet. My history hasn’t ended yet. It’s still being written. A lot of fighters fight because of ego. They want to be in the limelight, they don’t know how to do anything outside of the ring and they miss the applause and adulation. But I don’t need to fight to feel loved. I don’t have that problem. Really, I’m going to fight as long as my body allows me to compete at the top level.”
Morales said at this stage in his career, he’ll only accept fights that appeal to the public.
“I want all my fights to be important fights, big fights, exciting matches,” he went on. “I want them to be worth the price of admission. I want the fans to get their money’s worth and give them the type of performances that merit their support.”
Morales didn’t mention Pacquiao or Marco Antonio Barrera when asked to name the toughest fighters he’s met. Instead, he singled out Enrique Jupiter and Daniel Zaragoza.
“All the fights are tough and it’s hard to say that this guy was better than that guy,” he explained. “A lot of the time, it’s the situation that makes a fight hard, not necessarily the fighter you’re facing. Still, it’s hard to say because they all have their special strengths and weaknesses and each one has his own style that can cause different types of problems.”
Morales refused to admit he lost his 2004 rubber match against Barrera and said he was robbed of the decision. He chastised judge Larry O’Connell for scoring 10-10 in the 11th round when he claimed to have clearly won it. Besides, ties are frowned upon in scoring rounds. If O’Connell scored it 10-9 for Morales, the decision would’ve been a majority draw.
Two judges in the close contest are assigned to the Pacquiao-Morales rematch. Jerry Roth, 64, and Paul Smith, 61, will join Dave Moretti, 61, in the panel. Roth saw it 115-113 for Barrera and Smith had it 114-all as Morales lost by a majority decision.
Morales started boxing when he was five. His father Jose, known as Olivaritos for his resemblance to legendary champion Ruben Olivares, taught him how to fight but never encouraged him to turn pro. Morales won 181 amateur bouts and made his pro debut in 1993.
Early in Morales’ career, his father picked tough opponents to discourage him from pursuing the profession. But Morales knocked out six of his first seven opponents and has never looked back.
“As a champion, he continues to impress everyone,” said Top Rank’s Bob Arum. “Each time he willingly fights a more difficult opponent and boxes with skill and confidence.”
If Morales is taking Pacquiao lightly, he’ll regret it because the Filipino is determined to win convincingly.
“I will do my best and I promise I will give this guy a fight and I have to win this fight,” said Pacquiao, quoted by Brad Cooney in the website boxingtalk.com. “All of my countrymen are hoping that I win this fight. If I beat Morales, it will be a big honor for me to go back to the Philippines with the victory. I want this very much for my country. It will be good for my country and for my fans. I want to make people happy (when I win). My goal (in 2006) is to beat Morales. My other goal is to keep serving God and to be blessed by God.”
Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach admitted Morales fought a heckuva fight in their first encounter.
“I think he fought a great fight,” said Roach in a recent press conference. “He fought one of the best ones I have seen him. He used his jab very effectively and so forth. We didn’t expect him to do as well as he did. And he backed Manny up when he put Manny on the ropes where he didn’t need to be. So he fought a good fight but not exactly what we expected. We expect it this time.”
The cut that Pacquiao suffered from a headbutt in the fifth round proved to be a turning point in the match.
