PACQUIAO DRILLS ERIK INTO VEGAS CANVAS!
Las Vegas, NV-It didn’t take a psychic to figure out the winner of tonight’s main event. Not even Madame Cleo, in her prime, could have missed picking the winner of the Erik Morales-Manny Pacquiao fight. Let me see, with the height, reach, and overall size, all favoring Morales, how could an unbiased sort pick Pacquiao? Simple answer: You had to believe in the Pacman!
LOOKED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO BE ERIK’S NIGHT!
With Morales winning the opener, the second went to the Philippine icon. From that point forward, and with few exceptions, Erik Morales, 130 lbs., controlled matters early in the fight. Wearing what he called his “knockout” Reyes brand gloves, Pacman, 128 ?, landed his left cross cleanly a number of times, but with little apparent damage. Then came the sixth, and Pacquiao came alive, driving Morales into a defensive shell for most of the round, working both body and head!
NEVER UNDESTIMATE THE POWER OF THE PACMAN!
With Pacquiao looking to continue where he left off in that sixth, Morales came alive in the seventh, only to have Manny re-seize the initiative. At the end of the three-minute session, mainly due to the fact Manny was ripping the body, Morales’ legs, having wobbled a couple of times, seemed a lot older than their 29. With my card reading 4-3 Morales, the eighth saw both guys land, but Pacquiao seemingly landed harder as he flurried on Erik a number of times.
“DEAD MAN SITTING” WAS MORALES
Looking at Morales on this stool before the ninth, he resembled a “dead man sitting!” With the look of a loser written all over his face, the ninth round brought a slow in the action for the first 1:30. That was when the Pacman returned to throwing punches in bunches. Advantage Pacquiao. After nine, I’ve got Manny controlling the action.
SHOT, BEAT TO A PULP, THAT DESRIBES ERIK!
In the tenth round, it was all Pacquiao, scoring the first of two knockdowns. With Morales dead, Pacquiao would make sure Erik would not mount a comeback. Leaping back at his foe, the Filipino continued doing what he had done since the sixth, kicking Morales’ ass. With the second knockdown, came the virtual retirement of Erik Morales. Whether or not he could have beaten the count didn’t matter, Erik was done, and Manny was king!
PACMAN DROPPED A BARRAGE OF BOMBS!
The official time was 2:33 of round ten. At the time of the stoppage, Pacman had landed 196 of 795 punches thrown! Pacquiao improves to 41-3, with his 33rd knockout. Morales, losing for the first time in 13 years via TKO, is now 48-4, (34 KO’s).
PINOYS & PINAIS BACK MANNY TO THE WALL!
They say that there literally thousands of islands that make up the Philippines. Well, when Manny Pacquiao’s hand was raised in victory over Erik Morales, the earth might have moved a bit with all those Filipinos jumping up and down!
WILL BARRERA STILL FIGHT CHAVEZ NOW?
With the biggest fight under 135 lbs., the rematch between Pacquiao and Marco Antonio Barrera, this is what fight fans worldwide are clamoring for. With a March date with IBF 135 lb. guy Jesus Chavez not a done deal, Marco could make this the big fight in June! Personally, after seeing Manny chew up Erik, and then spit him out like flavorless chewing gum, I wouldn’t think this is the fight Barrera wants. Mighty Mexican warrior or not, I’m installing Pacquiao a 9-5 betting favorite!
CASTILLO OVERCOMES POWERFUL FOE IN MUNOZ!
Seeing he all but gangster slapped Alexander Munoz, when they first met a couple of years ago, people involved with WBA 115 lb. champ Martin Castillo, were looking for a carbon copy! That was not the case, as Munoz, he dropped the defending champion in the blink of an eye. Rallying back to make things close, Castillo seemed ready to take charge about the mid-way point. Alexander, with an eye closing appeared ready to possibly take an early exit, stage right! But credit the challenger, as he did come back with one more assault, this before Castillo would win the championship rounds, and the fight. The split scorecards read, Glenn Feldman 115-112, Richard Houck 116-111, for Castillo, while Dalby Shirley had it 115-112 for Munoz, now 28-2, 26 KO’s. Castillo improves to 30-1, with 16 KO’s. This fight came down to want, and conditioning, as Martin definitely wanted it more, and was in beter shape down the stretch.
