For eight weeks, Manny Pacquiao trained at the Wildcard Gym, a second-floor sweatbox located in a strip mall on Vine in the heart of Hollywood. And on the days that he sparred, Pacquiao got the star treatment. Hundreds of Filipino boxing fans armed with cameras would crowd into the gym to watch their native son break down sparring partners each Thursday and Saturday.
They represent just a fraction of the 80 million fans in the Philippines for whom Pacquiao is a national hero. Pacquiao will carry all their hopes into the ring with him when he takes on Mexican boxing icon Erik Morales at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
In the Philippines, a Pacquiao fight is the equivalent of the Yankees in Game 7 of the World Series. Pac Man mania is in full swing in the Philippines with reporters sending missives back each day chronicling his every move leading up to the match.
It is a lot of weight for a 130-pound man to carry. If it is too much to bear, Pacquiao doesn’t show it. During a brief interview before he worked out a few weeks ago, Pacquiao was as quick with a smile as he is with his jab.
A victory over Morales would put Pacquiao in a special class. He would have victories over the two boxers – Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera – who have reigned supreme at super bantamweight, featherweight and super featherweight for the last decade and a draw against the other – Juan Manuel Marquez.
“To me this is on the same level as the Barrera fight,” Pacquiao said of his match with Morales. “Morales is a three-time world champion and he trains very hard like me. I can’t say it will be an easy fight, but I’ll do my best.”
So far, Pacquiao’s best has been very good. Pacquiao (39-3-3, 30 KOs) is undefeated with two draws in his last 15 bouts – a span that covers the last five years. He served notice that he was a serious player in this country when he demolished Barrera in San Antonio in 2003, stopping the featherweight king on an 11th-round TKO. Pacquiao came back with a less-than-stellar performance against Marquez on May 8. Pacquiao knocked Marquez down three times in the first round, but settled for a draw.
“He didn’t fight the right fight against Marquez,” said trainer Freddie Roach. “He got countered way too much. Marquez is a very good boxer, probably a better boxer than Morales or Barrera. We didn’t fight a good fight. Manny was just one-two, one-two all night. He’s got good power in both hands, but he didn’t have a lot of confidence in his right hand.”
They spent most of training camp getting Pacquiao to deliver the right hand with authority. Fred Sternburg, Pacquiao’s publicist, is calling it “Manila Ice” because Pacquiao’s camp believes it can stop Morales cold, something no one has done. Barrera never did it and he had three shots.
Pacquiao believes Morales is slipping, the result of several ring wars over the last few years.
“I think he has fought a lot of 12-round fights,” Pacquiao said. “I think he’s an old guy.”
But Morales is a bigger old guy. He may be the size of a welterweight by the time he steps into the ring against Pacquiao, who is moving up from featherweight and started his career 10 years ago at 108 pounds.
Pacquiao has come a long way from the corn and rice fields of Kibawe in the Philippines, where his family had a farm. He ran away from home at age 12 because his mother didn’t want him to box. Then he supported himself by hustling pool and basketball before he became a pro fighter at 16.
Now, he is the toast of the Philippines and is carrying that country’s sports hopes on his shoulders. He smiles when asked what will happen against Morales, but he won’t say anything. He is reminded of how well he did against Barrera, Morales’ arch nemesis.
“I got lucky against Barrera,” he said smiling. “Maybe I will get lucky again.”
