Unknown to many, when Manny Pacquiao steps into the ring to face Mexican great Erik “El Terrible” Morales on March 19 (March 20 in RP) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, he will not just be battling out against probably the only remaining pure warrior in the world today. An important side-show will be the Filipino icon’s struggle to pull the plug on what is shaping up as the big jinx plaguing his L&M Gym in Manila.
The L&M Gym, located along Paquita Street in Sampaloc, has been Pacquiao’s home gym since his pre-Blow by Blow days, where as a young boy his talent had been discovered by gym owners Lito Mondejar and Moy Lainez. It is considered a “lucky gym,” having produced past world champions.
Lately, however, the gym has been smarting from two important losses by two of the three big stars currently training inside the sweatshop.
First to fall was Bobby Pacquiao, Manny’s younger brother, who was reduced to smithereens by Thai Fahprakorb Rakkiatgym in the ninth round of their scheduled 12-rounder last February 18 in Pattaya. The bout, which was for the IBF Pan Pacific featherweight crown, would have been Bobby’s ticket to big-money US bouts being planned by American promoter Murad Muhammad. Everything was already planned out for his American campaign.
As it turned out, the younger Pacquiao did not have the heart of his more illustrious brother, as he was outgunned by a Thai champ labeled by one observer as a “bum.” A long-distance call by Manny before the fight failed to do wonders, as Bobby crumpled to the canvas following a shot to the midsection.
Next to fall was RP lightweight boss Fernando Montilla, who bowed to fast-rising KO artist Ichitaro Ishii of Japan in their non-title bout last March 5. Japanese journalist Joe Koizumi reported that Montilla knocked down Ishii in the second round but found himself on the receiving end thereafter and was finally flattened with a vicious left hook at 2:12 of the sixth round.
Can Pacquiao duck the jinx?
Renowned trainer Freddie Roach says that Pacquiao has the tools to inflict Morales his first knockout loss. Ironically, Morales is himself facing the same dilemma. His stablemate and buddy Jose Antonio Aguirre had just lost three days ago via knockout to Eric Ortiz for the WBC 108-lb crown.
