LAS VEGAS – When is a loss not a loss? In boxing, it’s when the promoter says it’s not. That is the case for Erik Morales, a Mexican icon who has won titles in three different weight classes.
Morales is coming off a devastating loss to Zahir Raheem, a slick Philadelphia boxer, in the fall. But it hasn’t cast a pall over Morales’ rematch with Manny Pacquiao, a Filipino sensation, in a junior lightweight bout at the Thomas and Mack Center tonight. Promoter Bob Arum expects a large crowd to pack the arena and he expects better numbers on Pay-Per-View than for the first match between the two last March.
In true boxing logic, Arum explained on Thursday just how the two boxers could be engaged in a highly lucrative match when Morales (48-3, 34 KOs) was so handily defeated by Raheem in September.
“Obviously, I was devastated (when Morales lost),” Arum said. “But as I was walking to the press conference after that fight I said to myself, ‘Why not just go ahead with the (Pacquiao) rematch?’ People will see it the same way that I saw it. Morales was totally out of shape and not prepared for that fight (against Raheem). The first Morales-Pacquiao fight was a good fight and the fight with Zahir wasn’t going to impact the second fight with Pacquiao. It could still be great.”
Arum theorized that the loss to Raheem has made Morales appear vulnerable to Pacquiao’s fans. Therefore, they will buy more tickets thinking Pacquiao has a better chance of beating Morales. He said the increased tickets sold to Filipino groups wanting to attend the fight proved his theory.
Arum said the loss may have had more of a financial impact on Morales than Pacquiao. Morales is guaranteed $2.75 million and Pacquiao will earn $3 million with his guarantee and a percentage of the revenue from the promotion.
It wasn’t a big risk for Arum, because he knows that Morales has a huge following in Mexico and Pacquiao (40-3-2, 31 KOs) is a major celebrity in the Phillipines. With those two countries backing them, Arum didn’t see how he could go wrong.
Now, Morales and Pacquiao have to prove Arum right in the ring. Both have promised to bring the same heat they brought in the first match. Morales is even doing some trash-talking.
It appeared that Pacquiao staggered Morales in the 12th round of that first match. But Morales said he was off-balance because he switched to a southpaw stance to mock the lefty.
“I didn’t think (Pacquiao) is that strong a puncher,” Morales said. “If I had to give him a number, it’d be a five out of 10.”
Pacquiao made a tactical error in the last match, trying to KO Morales rather than box him. The boxing strategy, supplemented with plenty of movement, worked perfectly for Raheem. So, it will be interesting to see if Pacquiao, who is quicker than Morales but perhaps not stronger, will employ a similar strategy as Raheem. Whatever the case, both men promise they won’t back away.
And that will go a long way toward proving Arum’s theory on wins and losses in boxing.
