LEGENDARY Mexican Erik “El Terrible” Morales has asked fight fans to believe in him at a press conference to announce his third encounter with Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao, as humble as always, promised fans a good fight and prayed that no one gets hurt.
The Filipino was able to get what he wanted, a guaranteed purse of $3 million for the rubber match, which means he will also get a share of pay-per-view rights should his share of income on PPV exceed $3 million.
In a contract negotiated by his management team, headed by the astute Shelly Finkel and lawyers Nick Kahn and Keith Davidson, Pacquiao will receive $500,000 if Morales is overweight by one ounce up to one pound. If Morales is 2 lb over the limit, Pacquiao will receive $1 million and doesn’t have to fight as Viva Sports/Standard Today reported last July 6.
But Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who handles Morales, said he was confident the Mexican will make the 130-lb limit, saying there was a whole staff of dependable people helping him so he could make the weight.
Morales said that everyone knows that his last few ring appearances hadn’t been good for him, but that the rubber match with Pacquiao “gives me an opportunity to reverse everything and go back to where I belong. I’m asking you to believe in me one more time to show you what I can do.”
