Filipino ring icon Manny ?The Destroyer? Pacquiao and Mexican star Erik ?El Terible? Morales met face-to-face for the first time yesterday and the two colorful fighters were all business in promising everyone of a great and explosive ring war on March 19 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
?I?m going to give you a real good fight,? the 27-year-old Pacquiao tells Morales during yesterday?s news conference at the plush Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel attended by the biggest press turnout Top Rank has ever had in LA.
American promoter Murad Muhammad somewhat inflamed the scathing rivalry between the Mexican and Filipino ring gladiators when he said that ?Pacquiao destroyed a legend in Barrera, knocked down Marquez three times and now the Filipino warrior is going after the top Mexican.?
Morales, on the other hand, believes that his hotly-anticipated superfight against Ring Magazine and people?s featherweight champion Pacquiao on HBO Pay-Per-View will be a great and explosive showdown.
?I had three great fights last year. It didn?t finalize the way I had hoped it to, but I?m very satisfied with my performances. I didn?t want to take anyone easy coming back. I think this will be a great, explosive fight,? Morales stated in a report by Fightnews.com.
Promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank said that the Morales-Pacquiao blockbuster duel will not only be another war for the ages bound to join the list of boxing?s box-office hits of all time, but also a battle of pride that will surely rekindle the brewing Filipino-Mexican animosity.
?This smells like it?s going to do tremendous business because Morales-Barrera did big, but it was two Mexicans. I think a Filipino and a Mexican brings another element to it, because energizes over two million Filipinos in Southern California,? said Arum.
Both Pacquiao and Morales are set to receive US$900,000, but the Filipino punisher would earn to up to US$1.75 million or P98 million as cable giant HBO will give him a percentage in per-per-view sales.
Boxing pundits believe that the Morales fight is indeed a blessing for Pacquiao as he no longer needs to rush his training for his next bout. Pacquiao hasn?t trained since destroying Thai Fahsan 3K Battery in four rounds on December 11 last year in Taguig City.
Pacquiao was originally set for a February 26 return bout with IBF/WBA featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez. The dream rematch however, was scrapped because Marquez ?overpriced? himself for asking $1.5 million or double than the $750,000 offered to him by Top Rank.
After learning that he will be facing Morales instead of Marquez, Pacquiao welcomed the news with excitement. ?I am willing to fight Morales because he is not such a tough opponent. Pac-Man is ready to fight anybody because I have no fear,? said the General Santos City-native celebrity.
Pacquiao has enough reason to be confident because he mercilessly destroyed Mexican great Marco Antonio Barrera, the man who is credited for inflicting the only two career defeats of Morales.
Morales poses some problems though for Pacquiao because the Mexican has already fought three times under the jr lightweight division, while the Filipino will fight for only the first time under the 130 pounds category. The taller and bigger Morales has also never lost to any boxer other than Barrera.
