Even before he could dispose of Fahsan 3K Battery this Saturday and finally settle the issue with Juan Manuel Marquez in a much-awaited rematch in February, Manny Pacquiao has already been lined up to take on Erik Morales in July.
American promoter Murad Muhammad, confident that the Filipino boxing hero will beat the Thai this weekend and the WBA/IBF champion Marquez on Feb. 26, has disclosed that he had “already penciled in a July date with HBO for Manny to fight Morales,” according to the popular boxing website Boxingtalk.com.
Meanwhile, since the Pacquiao-Fahsan fight is presented by Smart Padala, Talk n Text and Smart Buddy, all Smart subscribers get a 50 percent discount when they buy patron tickets (P1,000). They just have to present their Smart, Talk n Text and Addict Mobile SIM to any SM Ticketnet outlet.
The two fighters, who came face-to-face in a press preview Tuesday, will meet again today in a press conference at the Discovery Suites in Ortigas.
Although Morales lost a majority decision to Marco Antonio Barrera in their classic, third bout last month, Murad still feels Morales “didn?t lose his credibility” and Pacquiao must face him. Boxingtalk.com said Murad has reportedly struck a deal with HBO for a July fight date.
Pacquiao and Morales were actually supposed to mix it up this year but Bob Arum, president of Top Rank, reneged on his commitment and instead chose to pit Morales against Barrera.
Murad hinted that Pacquiao would clobber Marquez in their return bout and added that “after we come out of the Morales fight, we will take on Barrera if he”s ready.”
If Barrera shuns an early rematch with Pacquiao, Murad said they would make a mandatory defense of the featherweight title and “then meet Barrera at the end of the year.”
However, Murad conceded that while this was his planned schedule “anything can happen in-between.”
Another possibility mentioned is a unification bout against WBC featherweight champion Injin Chi of Korea. Murad had broached the idea at a recent dinner meeting with Chi?s manager Kusung Lee and WBC founding secretary general Rudy Salud and told him “let?s prepare for the future so that Injin Chi and Pacquiao can meet and both fighters can make significant money.”
Murad, however, said that “right now Injin Chi is not in the cards but because he?s the champion and he?s winning, there is a great possibility that he will meet Pacquiao in the future.”
Meantime, noted American trainer Freddie Roach has stressed that the rematch with Marquez is going to be a “hard, technical fight,” adding that they would “have to make some adjustments and have to fight a much better fight than we did last time because I”m sure Marquez is going to do the same.”
Roach also said that Marquez is “up in the mountains training for Manny right now. He is a conditioning freak but he?s going to need to train up in the mountains because we?ll be ready for him.”
He added that while “everybody wants to see a rematch with Barrera, I guess he doesn?t want to come to the table so Morales is a very attractive fight out there and the featherweight division is hot right now. It should be a real good year for Manny.”
Throughout his training for Fahsan fight, Roach has inculcated in Pacquiao?s mind that he “should not take that Thai fighter lightly.” However, looking ahead Roach worked on Pacquiao?s right which he said, “when he pivots properly as he sometimes does, is even more devastating than his left.” ? With report from Dante Navarro
