LAS VEGAS – Not much separated them on the scales Friday.
Even less is expected to separate them in the ring tonight.
Erik Morales and Manny Pacquiao are little guys who are generating heavy interest in a rematch tonight that has captivated an island nation on the other side of the international dateline, stirred up old emotions in Mexico, divided a father and son, unified a nation and even created a mild buzz in a jaded town that has seen it all.
They are only super featherweights. Actually, Pacquiao was a pound-and-a-half, a mere 24 ounces, short of 130, Morales’ precise weight at the assigned time in a plush ballroom at the Wynn. The new hotel is loaded with creature comforts, but neither Morales nor Pacquiao has indulged their appetites.
Too much is at stake.
Too much is uncertain.
Emotions were evident at the weigh-in before a noisy crowd that was divided equally, flag-for-flag, chant-for-chant, and dollar-for-dollar at Vegas’ betting windows. It is even money, a pick-’em proposition.
Only the fight is a favorite.
There was Pacquiao’s Filipino nation on one side and Morales’ Mexican loyalists on the other. Each eyed the other warily, almost as if they weren’t certain about what might happen tonight at Thomas & Mack Center.
Truth is, they don’t know.
Nobody does.
Morales (48-3, 34 knockouts) won the first bout by in March by unanimous decision, but he lost his last one in shaky outing to Zahir Raheem.
“I’m embarrassed by that,” said Morales, who has proven repeatedly that he is most dangerous after a humiliation. After each of his first two losses, he came and won impressively. He’s always been able to punch. But it’s wounded pride that seems to make the punches all the more lethal.
But a question lingers and all of it involves whether Morales can keep up with Pacquiao (40-3-1, 31 KOs), whose bout will be seen early Sunday in the Philippines. Filipino President Gloria Arroyo will introduce the Pacific telecast with a message wishing Pacquiao good luck.
Morales cut off the ring and often trapped Pacquiao against the ropes last March. It was then – and there – that Morales scored.
“Manny didn’t fight smart,” trainer Freddie Roach said.
Behind closed doors at his Los Angeles gym, Roach has been trying to implement a more complete attack for Pacquiao, who often becomes one dimensional with an over-reliance on a powerful left hand.
If the faster Pacquiao can employ his quick feet and even quicker hands, he might be able to reverse March’s result and ensure a richer, third fight. Morales often appears vulnerable against speed, especially lateral movement.
Pacquiao also sounds emboldened by the opportunity to wear his favorite gloves, Reyes, which he says augment his power. He also might have an edge in containing inevitable distractions. Before the loss in March, he had problems with his former manager, Murad Muhammad, who negotiated away his right to wear Reyes in March. Now, it is Morales who is hearing about complaints relayed through the Mexican press from his dad, Jose, in the months since he fired him as his trainer.
Will any of it matter?
Maybe not.
On the scales Friday, Morales still looked down on Pacquiao. At 5-8, Morales is 2 inches taller than the Filipino, whose attempted assaults in the first bout were repeatedly halted by blows at the end of Morales’ longer reach.
Morales is bigger. Not by much, but maybe just enough.
