There is nothing like the rush of a Manny Pacquiao fight. Pacquiao, the Ring Magaizine featherweight champion, has that buzz about him like Mike Tyson had back in the late 1980?s; all action and no disappointment. His scheduled March 19th super-fight against Erik Morales is a fight fans dream. Manny will bring his concussive power, and he won’t be afraid to take a punch in order to administer one of his lethal blows against a top pound for pounder Morales. I liken him to a modern day Bruce Lee; he is quick, ripped, strong, and deadly. Every time the 28 year-old Pacquiao comes out, it is like an explosion. Remember in 2001, when he entered the ring as a late substitute against the respected Lehlohonolo Ledwaba in a Jr. Featherweight title bout? He proceeded to thrash Ledwaba in what would be a coming out party, and the beginning of “Pac-Mania”. Since then, Manny, who sports a 39-2-2 record along with a comfy spot in TalkingBoxing’s Top 10 “Pound for Pound”, has put on scintillating performance after scintillating performance. It all culminated when on November 15th of 2003, “Pac-Man” put his name along side the greats of the sport, when he destroyed fighting legend Marco Antonio Barrera via 11th round TKO.
Last year, he and Juan Manuel Marquez engaged in one of the best prizefights in recent memory and while many at ringside had Manny the winner, the bout was declared a draw. Regardless of the verdict, the Marquez bout only enhanced his legacy, and on March 19th his legacy will receive another boost win, lose, or draw. That will be when he gets in the ring against another Mexican pugilist legend, the relentless Erik ?El Terrible? Morales.
The questions pundits will beg to ask is, will “Pac-Man” do it again? Will he beat another superstar, and in the process make himself one of the supreme fighters of this era? This boxing scribe believes he can come Martch 19th on HBO pay-per-view.
In his native Philippines, Pacquiao is like Michael Jordan, and might be bigger. He has starred in Philippine action movies, and he has earned a reputation as a national hero. He can?t walk 20 feet from his home without be mobbed by supporters, and fans. In the United States, while he is not the mainstream celebrity he is in the Philippines, he is still perhaps boxing?s most exciting fighter.
Recently, Pacquiao?s respected trainer Freddie Roach exclaimed, ?Manny weighs 132 pounds right now, and his power is better then ever.? And with reports from his camp, that sparring partners are being sent home with concussive injuries, a Pacquiao fan has to be excited about the upcoming match-up. Enter Erik Morales.
Morales presents problems that Pacquiao has never seen before. Morales is a tall rangy, hard punching Jr. Lightweight. He never, says ?Die? and he throws accurate destructive punches. Also he has been at the 130-pound weight limit longer then Pacquiao, (This will be Pacquiao?s first fight at Jr. Lightweight) which may give him an extra advantage over Manny.
Manny doesn?t seem too worried about the weight factor though, he explained, “130 pounds is my regular weight.” So don?t expect him to be anything less then his best.
None-the-less, boxing will be treated to a spectacular fight; that in my opinion will be the fight of the year. In the end, I am picking Morales to score the win. But don?t surprised if Pac-Mania comes through once again.
Estrada Getting His Shot at Mosley
Chicago native, and Ring Magazine Top 10 Welterweight Contender, David Estrada is getting the chance of a lifetime, when he gets a crack at former 3-division world champion Sugar Shane Mosley, as part of the April 23rd ESPN PPV card.
Estrada is a strong and relentless welterweight who will give Shane a fight. He has the incomparable Angelo Dundee in his corner, so that has to count for something. And those 9-1 odds are hogwash. Estrada is at least a 3 to 1 underdog, but he is a ‘live’ underdog, and he is young and hungry fighter. He has not been in nearly as many wars as Mosley, he hasn?t been moving up and down in weight like Mosley has, and he is a lot younger then Shane. If Mosley has trouble making 147 pounds, don?t be surprised if Estrada gives him hell in an excellent back and forth fight. Estrada is as tough as they come.
Knowledge?s Take
Boxing?s latest attempt at reality TV will take its chance with television viewers once again. And by the looks of what is an excellent cast of young fighters, it should be a success. I have seen almost all of the 16 contestants fight, and in my opinion for the most part, they are all are quality contenders. 2 fighters in particular Ishe Smith and Peter Manfredo Jr. are legitimate top 15 fighters in their respective weight classes, welterweight and jr. middleweight.
NBC has put a lot of money into this endeavor, and if this show is successful, it will help increase boxing?s awareness with mainstream sports fans. So I am pulling for the ?The Contender? and hopefully for boxing?s sake, it doesn?t get kayoed like Oscar De La Hoya?s Next Great Champ, or was that Next Great Chump.
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