This Saturday, January 21st, live on HBO PPV Erik Morales, (48-3 34 KO’s) and Manny Pacquiao, (40-3-2 32 KO’s) will meet in the much anticipated rematch of their March 2005 war. Morales and Pacquiao are both among the elite pound for pound fighters in the sport and have been champions in multiple weight class. Last time, the action was furious, but Morales came out on top with a unanimous decision with all three judges tallying the bout 115-113. The only reason the scores were so close was the guts and outstanding conditioning of “The Destroyer” from the Philippines. Pacquiao, thoroughly outboxed in the early rounds, mustered up all of his remaining energy in desperation to narrow the gap in the later rounds. A final flurry in the final round elated the crowd, but it was not enough for Pacquiao. This time both combatants are more focused than ever and Manny has revenge on his mind.
Pacquiao claims that he was not at his best last time, citing distractions and a wrong set of gloves. Manny and his trainer Freddie Roach were having issues with then promoter Murad Muhammad. Aside from allegedly taking money from his fighter’s purse, Muhammad negligently agreed for Manny to use Winning gloves instead of his usual Reyes gloves in the fight with Morales. There is always a scapegoat when a boxer loses a high profile match. Fast forward 9 months and Muhammad is gone and Pacquiao will be allowed to use whichever glove he would like. There will be no excuses this time around for either man.
This high profile rematch was almost iced last September. The two fighters were scheduled against tune ups to lead up to their return match. Pacquiao took care of business, knocking out Hector Velazquez. Morales, however, was matched with a difficult style and lost a lopsided decision to Zahir Raheem. Morales had shown inconsistency in the past in fights that he was supposed to be a lock to win. Erik needs a strong focus, a challenging task ahead of him in order to perform to the best of his potential. Pacquiao vs. Morales II was still made because these two still have tremendous name recognition and are two of the best boxers of their generation, even if Morales is coming off of a loss in his last fight.
Unfortunately for Pacquiao, the version of Erik Morales that put up an egg against Raheem will bear no resemblance to the ruthless Mexican warrior that he will face on Saturday. It seems almost unfair that other boxers are able to fight Morales when he is indifferent and overweight, yet Pacquiao will see the best of him each time they fight. Manny always faces the best of his opponents. He is such a daunting adversary that fighters are supremely motivated to be at their best. Coming off of a loss, Morales knows that many in the boxing world are doubting his ability to still perform at the highest level. Odds makers have posted betting lines that are just about even despite Erik’s clear cut victory the first time around. There is nothing that a great boxer likes to do more than prove people wrong.
Morales is not the only one who is supremely focused on winning. The loss to Morales last March was a reality that Pacquiao was not willing to accept. He not only fights for his own purposes; as a national hero in the Philippines Manny is fighting for the pride of an entire nation. Pac-man showed that he is in supreme condition when he wowed the media during a public training session last week. He is eager to right the only loss that he has suffered in the last six years. Manny is a deadly assassin and the only face on his hit list is that of “El Terrible” Morales.
His arsenal does not consist of guns, but lethal straight left hands. Most southpaws are defensive cuties. Nothing could be further from the truth when talking about Pacquiao. He is a fire baller; the hardest hitting featherweight since Prince Naseem Hamed. But as Hamed’s fractured career has shown us, power alone does not make a great fighter. Manny also has fast hands and a heart of a lion. His work rate and conditioning allow him to punish his foes for all twelve rounds. With all of the incredible gifts that Manny possesses, he still faces an extremely difficult task ahead. Morales is the better fighter, in a technical sense and historically based on his past accomplishments. Pacquiao relies on his big punches to hurt or discourage his opponent. Morales is a slippery veteran that moves and rolls, making it extremely difficult to land on his chin cleanly. Erik is adept at cushioning incoming punches so he does not take the full force of the blow. When Erik boxes instead of trading, like he did against Pacquiao the first time, he shows off an effective jab and a frame that can baffle Manny.
A Pacquiao victory will not be possible without a supreme effort and some luck. Even if Manny is able to solve the puzzle of getting past Morales’ technique, he will need to do the unlikely and landed cleanly against “El Terrible”. Morales was able to hold off a charging Pacquiao by using the jab and threatening with the right hand. Erik also knows when Manny is weak and charges in with an assault of his own. Roach and Pacquiao had a monumental task in coming up with a game plan to put Morales on the seat of his pants. However, great fighters find a way to win. We will find out just how great Pac Man really is. An early knockout win would be an unbelievable accomplishment for either man. When two athletes are at their best and the stakes are high enough, there is no telling what the outcome will be. Will it be the sweet revenge that Pacquiao so desperately wants, or just another in a long list of great victories for the Mexican legend? The answers will be delivered on Saturday night.
A two fight undercard will kick off the televised portion of the event. The outstanding WBA Super Featherweight Champion Martin Castillo, (29-1 16 KO’s) will defend his belt against Alexander Munoz, (28-1 26 KO’s). The little guys have fought once before with Castillo winning a decision. The first bout will feature upcoming prospect, Anthony “The Messenger” Thompson, (20-1, 15 KO’s) against Jose Luis Zertuche, (17-2-2 13 KO’s) in a non title affair.
