Erik Morales raised his hands in victory against Manny Pacquiao on March 19, having gained a unanimous decision after 12 hard-fought rounds that clearly suggested a rematch was in order.
The rematch almost assuredly will happen, probably in January. But neither fighter is looking past Sept. 10, when they’ll share top billing on the “Double Trouble” card at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
In separate 12-round super featherweight bouts, Morales (48-2, 34 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico, will face 1996 U.S. Olympian and top-rated contender Zahir Raheem (26-1, 18 KOs) of Philadelphia, and Pacquiao (39-3-1, 30 KOs) of the Philippines takes on Hector Velazquez (41-10, 30 KOs) of Tijuana.
Both bouts will be televised live on HBO (9:45 p.m. ET). For now, Morales-Pacquiao II can wait.
“I’m completely focused on Velazquez,” Pacquiao said Tuesday via conference call from Los Angeles. “If he’s able to go the distance, I think that will help me as far as my experience and stamina for Morales. But the only fight I’m thinking about right now is the next one.”
Morales, 28, tried but was unable to participate in Tuesday’s conference call. His cell phone wasn’t able to get a signal in the mountains of Otomi, Mexico, where he’s been training for Raheem with few modern conveniences other than electricity and running water.
“He’s expecting a tough fight, and that’s why he’s training in such tough conditions with no distractions,” said Bill Caplan, a publicist for Top Rank.
Pacquiao, 26, also has tried to alleviate distractions. The Filipino boxing icon settled a $33 million breach-of-contract suit against his former promoter Murad Muhammad in June for an undisclosed amount, making him a free agent. The lawsuit alleged that Muhammad transferred more than 30 percent of Pacquiao’s purses to a shell company that was supposed to pay his taxes but failed to do so, charges Muhammad denies.
Nonetheless, Pacquiao says his new management team, led by manager Shelly Finkel, is allowing him to resume his career with peace of mind. His workouts usually draw hundreds of fans, but trainer Freddie Roach has closed them to the public.
“Manny’s Filipino audience loves to watch him, but I wanted it to be more private so we could better work on going to the body and the other things we need to work on,” Roach said. “Velazquez is somebody we definitely can’t take lightly. Everybody’s talking about Morales and the rematch, but there won’t be a rematch without winning this fight. We’ve been working on a little bit of everything to make Manny more of a complete fighter.”
In losing to Morales, Pacquiao missed a chance to elevate himself among the best. He owns an 11th-round TKO victory against WBC lightweight champion Marco Antonio Barrera, the same opponent who beat Morales two of out three times, each fight going the distance.
Expectations are that Barrera and Morales will continue their trilogy with a fourth fight. But Barrera has his own huge obstacle with a Sept. 17 fight vs. IBF super featherweight champ Robbie Peden at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
