The MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, will be the place to be this Saturday as Erik Morales (47-2, 34 KO?s) and Manny Pacquiao (39-2-2, 31 KO?s) will clash in a highly anticipated boxing event. The two are considered a pair of the finest pound-for-pound boxers on the Earth. The only belt on the line will be the vacant unheralded IBA super featherweight title, but in an era where belts mean less and less this fight is worth more than the sum of the titles not on the line. On May 8th, 2004, Manny Pacquiao should have won the IBF and WBA featherweight titles again Juan Manuel Marquez (43-2-1, 33 KO?s), but ringside judge Bert Clements made a mistake on his card by scoring the first round 10-7. Marquez had been knocked down three times in the first but Clements was under the impression that he couldn?t score the round 10-6. He admitted that he scored the round in error after the tallies were announced but no action was taken to right the wrong. Everyone assumed there would be a rematch, but it is now nearly a year later and there has been no rematch.
Pacquiao wanted a rematch but when that fell apart he moved on. He entered the ring this past December against tough challenger Fahsan (3K Battery) Por Thawatchai (44-8-1, 23 KO?s). If there were any bottled up frustrations arising from his draw with Marquez, the Pacman took them out on 3K Battery?s jaw by knocking him down four times, ending the bout in the fourth round with a TKO.
Four months ago Erik Morales was riding high and stepping easy having scored six straight wins. From the mountaintop of this successful run he thought it would be a good idea to challenge his nemesis, Marco Antonio Barrera (59-4, 41 KO?s). Though Morales had beaten Barrera in their first match it was Barrera who evened the score in their second fight. This gave Morales his lone loss. When the third fight was signed Barrera was only one fight removed from his loss to Manny Pacquiao and there was some feeling that Barrera was on a downward spiral toward retirement. The fight was one of the finest of the year. It was an action-packed affair that featured fistic fury at its finest. When the dust settled and the results were read, it was Barrera who won a razor-thin majority decision by the scores of 115-113, 115-114, and 114-114 to give Morales his second loss to the same man.
Both Pacquiao and Morales have beaten the venerable Barrera and count the victory against him among their signature wins. The similarities end there. Pacquiao is a 5?6? heavy-handed southpaw slugger from the Philippines, while Morales is a 5?8? orthodox Mexican with a five inch reach advantage. The same man has given Morales his only two losses, both by decision. Pacquiao has been knocked out two times, both in the third round, by two different men, Rustico Torrecampo and Medgoen Singsurat. Pacquiao hasn?t lost a fight in five and a half years while Morales lost his last time out.
The bookmakers and gambling world seem to be waffling on who should be favored in this fight. I?ve seen both men considered slight favorites, depending on which goodfella I spoke to. The fact is this match is a pick?em. If you are ponying up the cash on this one, you might as well spring for some Rolaids, too. There isn?t much doubt that if this match goes past three or four rounds both men will at some point be dazed by the other man?s power shots. The question may be who can take the gut check and come back firing. Which man will be able to counterpunch best while making the other miss?
The Eagles famously sang, ?somebody’s gonna hurt someone before the night is through? there’s gonna be a heartache tonight?. I know of no truer and more apropos words to write about this match. Both men will play the role of ?somebody? as each will feel some hurt. The heartache is going to be felt both by the defeated boxer and the gambler who bets high and wrong.
In this fight neither man can allow the other to impress their will or land with power shots. When one of them consistently starts moving backwards, the match will start marching quicker and quicker to a dramatic and predictable conclusion. Of course, either of these men could turn the tide of the bout with a single well-placed punch.
This week includes St Patty?s Day and a fight that could be the fight of the year. This week may well be the apex of the year for non-metrosexual men and ladies who count themselves as fans of both tossing a few back and the glove game. Both events are going to be highly entertaining and intoxicating. Remember to protect yourself at all times so you can avoid the heartache and hangover. No matter what your state is on Saturday, make sure you order the HBO Pay-Per-View and watch these two master pugilists ply their trade.
Copyright 2005 ConanSports LLC
