THE shot at redemption is at hand for Manny Pacquiao, the man on whose shoulders lie the hopes and inspirations of the more than 80 million Filipino people. With his pride at stake and adoring countrymen rallying behind him, Pacquiao steps into the ring anew this morning to fight crafty Mexican Erik Morales in a 12-round super featherweight clash at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
A victory will avenge the Filipino ring warrior’s defeat to Morales in March and spark a joyous celebration in the country.
A loss would be a national tragedy for the Filipinos.
Pacquiao, who hails from General Santos City, promised a victory this time against Morales, saying all the distractions that bothered him in the first fight are all out of the window.
Morales beat Pacquiao on points when the two fought in a classic encounter in March.
Pacquiao came in at 128.5 pounds in the official weigh-in Friday while Morales tipped the scales at exactly 130 pounds. That was the final face-off the two fighters had before their fight dubbed “The Battle.”
When Pacquiao and Morales meet again atop the ring today, it will be war. Both boxers are warriors and possess great boxing skills.
The Filipino pug’s trainer, Freddie Roach, said his ward will win this time.
“If we don’t win this fight, it’s just because we can’t,” Roach said.
Morales likewise vowed to win and give boxing fans a fight to remember.
“All I can tell you is I am looking forward to give the people a great show,” Morales said. “You know, give them something to scream about, something they will enjoy, something that they will remember for a long time.”
Morales is coming off an upset loss to Zahir Raheem in September on a fight card that was supposed to set up both fighters for their rematch.
Pacquiao won his fight by knockout, then watched as Morales lost for just the third time in his long career.
Pacquiao will enter the ring carrying a record of 40-3-2 with 32 KOs, while Morales has a slate of 48-3 with 34 KOs. (With a report from AP)
