I?VE never seen Erik Morales fight the full 12 rounds. Once I watched him take on a forgettable fighter in an even more forgettable fight months ago and hoping to be impressed by Morales, instead I switched on to another channel.
That was until two dawns ago.
Pinoy Box Office (the corporate owners are so lazy to come up with a name that they just substituted P for the H in HBO) showed a ?King of the Ring? program that was so haphazard that it could be ridiculous if the fights shown weren?t world class.
There was Roy Jones Jr. in all his glory, Bernard Hopkins vs. Tito Trinidad, and Erik Morales-Marco Antonio Barrera I or II (they didn?t specify). The Morales-Barrera fight was only a few rounds on show. I caught up at round six and after the thermo-nuclear war in round eight, another fight came after.
Filipino fight fans are now quite familiar with Barrera. It?s Morales who is a sort of a mystery to most Pinoys.
Filipinos are clamoring for a Morales-Manny Pacquiao match-up. We shouldn?t be too hasty.
In those two plus some rounds that I saw Morales take on Barrera, ?El Terrible? Morales proved he earns the moniker.
For every punch Barrera unleashed, Morales came back with three of his own. Morales is faster than Barrera. His rangy and slight frame might have something to do with it. He unleashes a fist faster than the average human blinks. And don?t let his skinny build fool you ? Morales is strong.
He has a solid chin that can withstand straight blasts and crashing hooks. He is brave. He gets tagged and wobbles, but he makes his offense his defense by punching it out instead of cowering in a clinch.
Morales should also be called El Completo. He has speed, power, strength, brains, or whatever is left after 47 fights worth of battering. Although he did most of the battering.
Now how would Manny Pacquiao fare against Morales? Quite well, I suppose.
But would Pacquiao win? It?s a possibility.
Pacquiao?s power and stamina should never be underestimated. No world-class boxer should belittle Pacquiao. Barrera made the mistake of assuming the Pacman would be just another victim.
Once Pacquiao made Barrera realize he wasn?t a bum, he was well on his way to knocking him out before Barrera?s corner threw in the towel.
Juan Manuel Marquez came into the Pacquiao fight better prepared and ?overconfident? (Marquez?s word) but still got stunned by three knockdowns in the first round. Showing his true worth, Marquez survived that and earned a majority draw decision to retain his WBA and IBF featherweight belts.
Against two of the best Mexican fighters in the world, Pacquiao proved he is at their level. But there?s more where that came from.
Among Barrera, Marquez and Morales, the latter is the most formidable foe for Pacquiao. Morales is not WBC and IBF super-featherweight champion for nothing.
It is to Pacquiao?s advantage that Morales-Barrera III has been scheduled before he fights either Morales or Barrera. After Muhammad Ali fought Joe Frazier for the third and last time in ?Thrilla in Manila,? both boxers were never the same again. Ali-Frazier III took a lot out of both boxing legends. They were a shadow of their former selves from then on.
Morales-Barrera III, if it becomes another 12-round classic like the previous two, will sap the two Mexicans. Then Pacquiao can skip Pacquiao-Barrera II for Morales-Pacquiao I. It should be easier for Pacman by then.
Pacquiao must fight Morales down the road. Pacquiao is now in the privileged position of world-beater. Any boxer in Pacman?s division worth his salt, couldn?t honestly say he is that good if he hasn?t fought Pacquiao.
Pacquiao, until he gets beat badly two or three times in the future, is the measuring stick of the featherweight division.
That is both an enviable and dangerous spot. But if Pacquiao takes care of himself and chooses his opponents well (a few patsies for snacks may not be too bad), he just might take away Gabriel ?Flash? Elorde?s ?Greatest Filipino Boxer? title.
It?s a long shot but Pacquiao has a long reach.
