LOS ANGELES ? Don?t let the fight go the distance.
This warning, short, straight and simple as it is, came no less from Rod Nazario, who said Manny Pacquiao will be in great danger of losing to Erik Morales if their scheduled 12-rounder on March 19 in Las Vegas goes to the scorecards.
“Tagilid tayo kung decision ang kalalabasan,” Pacquiao?s business manager told a couple of scribes over breakfast Thursday morning at the Vagabond Inn along Vine St. in Hollywood, California.
“Hindi pababayaan ni Bob Arum si Morales sa Las Vegas,” added Nazario, explaining that Arum, who handles the crafty Mexican fighter, is such an influential figure in Las Vegas, also known in the boxing world as “Arum country.”
“He badly needs this victory for Morales. And he badly needs this victory over Pacquiao at that,” said Nazario, who believes that another loss by Morales will certainly put a big dent on his handsome market value.
Morales lost his World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association featherweight (130 lbs) titles to countryman Marco Antonio Barrera last May and desperately wants both titles back.
But for him to get another crack at Barrera, Morales must first get past Pacquiao, undeniably one of the hottest and most popular boxers in the world today.
“They all know that if Morales loses to Pacquiao, bagsak sila. Morales is Arum?s baby especially when it comes to pay-per-view contests,” added Pacquiao?s business manager.
The forthcoming match, scheduled at the classy 15,000-seat MGM Grand, will be Morales? 10th pay-per-view contest while it?s the first for Pacquiao in a starring role.
Pacquiao has fought a couple of times under a pay-per-view setup, including one when he knocked out South Africa?s Lehloholo Ledwaba at the MGM Grand in 2001 as an undercard in the Mike Tyson-Lennox Lewis heavyweight bout.
“Pang pay-per-view talaga ni Arum si Morales so they can?t afford a second straight loss. Babagsak nang husto ang value nila. So if the fight goes the distance, malamang underdog na tayo,” Nazario explained.
What Pacquiao needs to do, his business manager added, is for him to go for the kill, knock Morales out and let the judges throw away their scorecards.
“Or he can beat Morales up so bad that they cannot do whatever they intend to do in case the fight lasts. Kung bugbog na bugbog, wala silang magagawa. It will be obvious. Parang Barrera dapat ang ilaban ni Pacquiao,” he said.
In November of 2003, Pacquiao knocked out Barrera cold in 11 rounds at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The fight was held while Morales, then the reigning champion, watched from the sidelines.
Then came the Morales vs Barrera fight late last year and the latter coming out a big winner. This time, when Pacquiao squares off with Morales, it will be Barrera watching from the sidelines.
Then whoever wins better get ready for the champion.
