LOS ANGELES-Featherweight People’s Champion Manny Pacquiao has totally trained his sights on ex-super featherweight king Erik Morales and is thinking of nothing else but to win his mega-fight on March 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The 26-year-old Pacquiao said that any talk of a rematch between topnotch Mexicans Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez will happen at the right time and the right place.
“This is one of the most important fights in my career and with regards to the rematches, we will decide on that after my fight with Morales,” said Pacquiao, who is in deep training at the Wild Card gym in Hollywood here.
Barrera’s camp has already sounded their intentions of talking about a rematch probably in the middle or at the end of the year. Barrera defends his WBC super-featherweight belt against Mzonke Fana on April 9 in El Paso, Texas.
Pacquiao was supposed to face Marquez this month but talks of another rematch got derailed.
Pacquiao knows that his path and Barrera’s will still cross, admitting that Barrera has what it takes to get back from the one-sided loss two years ago in San Antonio, Texas.
Roberto Diaz, Barrera’s right hand man, reaffirmed that he is still picking Pacquiao to win over Morales and his opinion may vary from that of Barrera. “I feel Manny has what it takes to win. I also like Pacquiao because he is a gentleman in and out of the ring,” said Diaz.
“I know Marco will always go for his countryman come fight night,” added Diaz, belying claims and insinuations that the Barrera camp has turned its back on Mexico and Morales although it has been a known fact that the two ring warriors are the most bitter rivals, having fought thrice in the past.
Meanwhile, Team Pacquiao chief trainer Freddie Roach said that he has designed a complete fight plan for the Filipino, who will be ready to take whatever surprise Morales could bring into the match.
“Everything is going well according to plan. We will be ready for him (Morales) because Manny will be in the best shape of his life come March 19,” said Roach, adding that the Barrera-Morales III game plan will completely be different from what Pacquiao will bring to Morales.
