Featherweight ?People?s Champion? Manny Pacquiao (38-2-2, 30 KO’s) will clash with WBC super featherweight champion Erik ?El Terrible? Morales, (47-1, 34 KO’s) ?The Last Man Standing? in the Filipino southpaw?s announced desire to burn through Mexico in what promises to be a battle of ultimate warriors. Pacquiao?s business manager Rod Nazario announced that promoters Murad Muhammad and Bob Arum had a done deal and indicated the site for the title fight would be either Las Vegas or California.
Nazario told Viva Sports/Manila Standard that he received a call from promoter Murad Muhammad informing him that Arum, president of Top Rank Inc., who handles Morales had agreed to the title fight which is expected to be a lucrative Pay-per-View proposition but that details of the fighters purses would have to be worked out but that he didn?t foresee any problems
Shortly after Morales defeated Carlos ?Famoso? Hernandez in their unification bout, Arum announced that the Mexican warrior would step into the ring in November in a blockbuster fight but didn?t name the opponent but Manila Standard learned at that time that Arum was trying to undercut a planned Pacquiao-Barrera rematch by offering Barrera a deciding third encounter with Morales. At that time Barrera, who had scored a convincing tenth round TKO over former bantamweight champion and onetime Ring Magazine ?Fighter of the Year? Paulie Ayala said he was eager to avenge his eleventh round annihilation by Pacquiao last November 15 in San Antonio, Texas and HBO set a November 27 date.
However, when the question of a Pay-per-View rematch with Pacquiao came up Barrera reportedly refused unless he was given a guarantee.Golden Boy Promotions which steers his career, refused.Meanwhile, Murad told HBO Sports top executives that Pacquiao ?needed to fight? resulting in the major boxing network offering Murad a November 6 date and asking him to explore the possibility of a fight with Morales, paving the way for Arum to maneuver for a Pacquiao-Morales encounter which was apparently his plan from the beginning. Morales himself indicated, after his win over Hernandez, that he was eager to fight Pacquiao before moving up to the 135 pound limit.
Pacquiao had Morales in his sights after devastating Barrera but his plans were somewhat stymied by his controversial draw with WBA featherweight super champion and IBF champion Juan Manuel Marquez who shunned an early rematch with the flamboyant Filipino southpaw who dropped him three times in the very first round but couldn?t finish him off.
Nazario disclosed that Pacquiao who was eager to enter the ring as quickly as possible has been doing roadwork in the mornings and working out in the gym in the afternoons in his hometown of General Santos City He will leave for Los Angeles on November 8 with younger brother and Philippine super featherweight champion Bobby Pacquiao and RP No. 1 super flyweight Z ?The Dream? Gorres to continue training under the watchful eye of Freddie Roach, the 2003 ?Trainer of the Year? who is largely responsible for honing Pacquiao?s skills and turning him into a world-beater. Nazario said Bobby Pacquiao was ?ninety percent sure of fighting on the undercard? and that if Gorres wins his scheduled September 4 clash with rugged Thail Sairung Suwansil in Mandaue City they would look for a suitable opponent for the stylish lefty also on the Pacquiao-Morales fight card.
Nazario said he ?likes Morales as an opponent better than Barrera or Marquez. His style makes it much easier for Manny because being taller is better for Pacquiao who has a hard time with smaller opponents. Even Freddie Roach prefers Morales? who, despite his victory over Hernandez didn?t appear to have the power to deck Hernandez despite hitting him with several combinations.
