AN ON-LINE poll put up by HBO Boxing specially for the rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales shows the Filipino as a slight favorite to win the return bout on Jan. 21 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Thirty-seven percent of those polled believe that Pacquiao will win by knockout, while 14 percent picked the Filipino to win on points. But Morales also had his share of believers as evidenced by the 30 percent who voted for him to win on points and 18 percent who voted him to emerge victorious inside the distance.
A scant 1 percent voted the scheduled 12-rounder that will be shown on HBO Pay-Per-View, will end in a draw.
The first time they met, Morales carved out a unanimous decision with all three judges at ringside submitting scores of 115-113.
In the return match, Pacquiao is a 7-5 favorite following his rousing sixth-round knockout win over Hector Velazquez on Sept. 10 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
On the same night Pacquiao mauled the gutsy Velazquez, Morales lost by decision to Zahir Raheem.
In another poll being conducted by mannypacquiao.ph, 75 percent picked Pacquiao to win by knockout and 13.4 chose him to fashion out a victory on points. Only 8.8 percent voted for Morales to win on points and 2 percent via the short route. Almost nobody voted that the fight will end in a draw.
Pacquiao has been training at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood since Dec. 3.
Morales is also doing the same but he got into training camp in Queretaro, 200 kilometers northwest of Mexico City, in late-November.
