Experts have named the bout “Little Hagler-Hearns” in reference to the savage clash that marked “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler’s eleventh defense of his middleweight championship against Tommy “Hit Man” Hearns two decades ago. For some, the comparisons between Manny Pacquiao and Hagler, and Erik Morales and Hearns, are inescapable.
“Many have likened Manny Pacquiao’s super featherweight debut against Erik Morales as potentially akin to that amazing piece of condensed fury,” writes Matthew Sanderson of tigerboxing.com. “Although few would predict a third round knockout, already the Filipino star is classed as the Hagler, who will stop Morales’ Hearns. One could be forgiven for this comparison. The lanky Morales shares with Hearns a similar build, and carries his power on his travels up the weight divisions. The shorter Pacquiao shares a left-handed stance with Hagler and while a solid puncher, likewise prefers to grind his foes down gradually.”
Now that the rematch is upon us, local boxing experts, for the most part, pick Pacquiao to end the fight in the middle to later rounds, noting Morales’ problems making weight, and being mired in distractions.
“Now, it’s the other way around,” explains Noel Zarate, executive producer of Solar Sports Desk. “The last time, Manny had all the distractions: the problems with Bob Arum and his management team; his gym was open to anybody; he was the one looking for tickets for his family members. Everything was a problem. Now, Morales has just gotten married, had an extended holiday, and is working with a new trainer after firing his father. Everything is a distraction.”
Boxing researcher and writer and lawyer Ed Tolentino also thinks that everyone is looking at the big picture and ignoring the micro scenario, which reveals that Morales is no longer the fighter he used to be.
“Erik Morales has been having trouble ever since he moved up to the junior lightweight division,” says Tolentino, a veteran boxing analyst who worked the weekly ABS-CBN boxing program “Knockout” for two years, from 1999 to 2000. “The first thing he lost was his punching power. He hasn’t been able to score a knockout since he moved out.”
“The key will be how Manny carries the fight,” opines fitness expert and boxing instructor Chinggay Andrada, whose new gym, Chinggay’s Punch Club at the adidas Sports Kamp in Fort Bonifacio, caters mainly to women who want to take up the sport. “If he doesn’t get careless, he’ll knock out Morales around the eighth round. He used to have the tendency to forget his defense once the hitting got heavy. I don’t think he’ll do that anymore.”
Meanwhile, entertainment celebrities and boxing enthusiasts Paolo Paraiso and Polo Ravales have no doubts that Pacquiao will finish the fight in the middle rounds.
“It’s all about heart,” says Paraiso. “To survive in the ring, you always have to have your heart. I believe Manny has always had the heart to be a world champion. I’m for Manny, all the way.”
“There are only a few great fighters who get even tougher when they get hurt,” says Ravales, who has been boxing for two years. “I’ve never seen Manny this fierce, especially when he gets hit. He’ll win.”
“I see Manny taking out Morales in the later rounds, probably eight to 10,” declares Zarate. “If he doesn’t, then he’ll be in trouble.”
Yesterday, Zarate also spoke with World Boxing Council light flyweight champion Brian Viloria and The STAR’s Quinito Henson, who will be covering the bout for Solar Sports. Zarate quoted Quinito as predicting a sixth-round knockout for Pacman. Viloria, who also represented the US in the 2000 Olympics, believes there will be no knockout. Zarate says Viloria is of the mind that Morales is too classy a fighter, and that it would take a tremendous effort for Pacquiao just to floor him. But in the end, Pacquiao will win, because he is better prepared.
“Pacquiao was more impressive in his last fight than Morales was,” Tolentino elaborates. “Pacquiao had more power, was more polished, and Morales has been getting sloppy. So let’s block out all the great fights, and look at their latest bouts. You are only as good as your last fight. I believe Manny will knock out Morales somewhere around the eighth round.”
This writer was invited to appear on Friday’s episode of the morning show “Homeboy”. When Boy Abunda asked me what my prediction would be, I said that I believed Pacquiao would be able to knock Morales out in the ninth round. I think Manny has learned several lessons, and he will show more versatility in this bout, and not just come charging in. Whenever a fighter goes through the kind of adversity Pacquiao has beenin recent months, he has no choice but to mature.
Still and all, I think it’s going to be a fight to remember.
