Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines meets Mexico’s Erik Morales at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand on Saturday for what promises to be a contender for fight of the year. Pacquiao beat Morales’ bitter rival Marco Antonio Barrera in 2003 before drawing with WBA and IBF featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez last May.
Morales lost to countryman Barrera for a second time last November.
Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach has promised his charge will adopt a policy of all-out attack.
And speaking at Wednesday’s news conference, Morales’ promoter Bob Arum said he expected the clash to emulate the Marvin Hagler-Thomas Hearns classic of 1985.
Arum said: “Nobody will ever forget that fight, it was such a sensational match. This one will be the same.”
In that famous bout, middleweight legend Hagler stopped Hearns inside three breathtaking rounds.
But Morales’ manager Fernando Beltran said the same would not happen to his charge.
Beltran said: “I keep reading that Pacquiao is going to knock out Erik Morales in one, two or three rounds.
“When was the last time Erik Morales was knocked out? The answer is never.”
Pacquiao, a former two-weight world champion, has a record of 39 wins (31 KOs), two losses and two draws.
The 26-year-old was the first man to stop former world featherweight champion Barrera.
Morales, meanwhile, has 47 wins (34KOs) and two losses and lost his WBC super featherweight crown to Barrera last time out.
However, Barrera is the only man to beat him and has a 2-1 lead in their trilogy of epic encounters.
The highly-anticipated match-up is considered an almost even fight.
