MANNY PACQUIAO, you bet, is still ahead as far as pre-fight odds go, both here at home and in well-lit Las Vegas.
But after a reality check, Erik Morales appears to enjoy an overall edge in the run-up to their monumental rematch on Jan. 21.
It’s like this. Pacquiao may not be in Quiapo for today’s fiesta procession of the Mahal na Poong Nazareno, but many in the great, boiling sea of devotees will bid the miraculous Black Nazarene to grant special blessings to their boxing idol in his bout against his sharp Mexican foe.
Whom will the Black Nazarene bless?
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Pacquiao fans may have not realized it, but the Black Nazarene could also be counted as a Morales compatriot.
The holy image, carved out of dark wood, was transported to Manila straight from Mexico over two centuries ago.
It’s also not openly known here, but Pacquiao, a devout Catholic, draws strength and power from the Nazarene in Quiapo.
In January 2005, on the eve of the Black Print this story Send this story Write the editor Reprint this article View other stories
Nazarene fiesta, trainer Buboy Fernandez was overheard by this reporter hollering over the phone from the Hollywood room of Pacquiao to a friend in Manila that a towel be touched onto the miraculous wooden image on behalf of the Pinoy boxing icon.
That towel, based on Buboy’s frantic instructions over the phone, could be the one used to wipe out the blood from Pacquiao’s gaping cut in his failed bid against Morales in their March 19 showdown in Las Vegas.
With Pacquiao very close to quitting in the 8th round, it’s not farfetched to say prayers had also helped him survive the 12-round agony against Morales.
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Now, how come Pacquiao has remained the odds-on pick among the majority of gamblers in his rematch with Morales, despite having lost the first fight? That’s not quite normal in the fight game, where the so-called wise money is regularly placed on the winner.
A check with Pacquiao devotees bore out a few factors that swayed bettors over to his side:
1) Unlike last time, Pacquiao will be using thinner punching gloves.
2) Pacquiao won his last fight by knockout; whereas Morales was dull and slow in losing by points in the same card.
3) Pacquiao has definitely learned his lessons from his last encounter with Morales and should be able to make the necessary adjustments.
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Now, here are more tangible points that should give Morales the overall pre-fight edge:
1) Morales has trained longer than Pacman.
2) Morales has sparred almost twice as long as Pacquiao, doing this around 7 p.m., exactly the same time of the actual fight.
3) Morales is coming in from a loss and will predictably come in superbly prepared.
So, will Pacquiao — insisting to spar in the afternoon instead of simulating the evening fight schedule — prove a disadvantage?
That’s hard to answer. His body clock, so says Lito Mondejar, a trusted team member, has been used to the afternoon sparring.
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Of course, there are several other sentimental points that have led adoring countrymen to believe Pacquiao should make it this time. Maybe by knockout in the seventh or eighth round, as many fans out in the streets love to put it.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao’s chief handler, American Freddie Roach, swore they have made timely adjustments to fight a better fight the second time around. They call this inevitable advantage “learning from mistakes.”
But, again, will this ploy be any better than what Morales has vowed to employ?
You see, the opponent Pacquiao has prepared for now may no longer be the same Morales that had bloodied and beaten him the first time out.
Fighters do learn from the last fight and what could stop Morales from boxing Pacquiao a different way the second time around?
The Mexicans have a name for this: Learning from victory.
