MOVE OVER Oscar Larios, Erik Morales is next.
Despite putting on a splendid showing, Larios will have to be just content with the fact that he went 12 rounds with Manny Pacquiao.
Pacquiao?s handlers revealed that the rubber match between Pacquiao and Morales is already cast in stone for the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas on Nov. 18 and that a rematch between Pacquiao and Larios no longer appears on their radar screen.
Pacquiao?s American manager Shelly Finkel said during the post-fight press conference that promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank is definitely staging Pacquiao-Morales III since he believes that Morales will be able to make the 130-lb limit because of the recruitment of a nutritionist and that Morales himself is determined to get back at Pacquiao.
Finkel bared that even if Morales fails to make 130 lbs, there is a stipulation in the contract that awards Pacquiao a penalty if Morales struggles in conquering the scales.
“Manny?s going to be protected in the third Morales fight,” said Finkel. “Mr. Arum has put up a huge amount and will go to Manny if Erik goes over the limit. Arum did not put up that amount if he knew he would lose it.”
But Team Larios believes Morales won?t make 130 lbs anymore and that the best possible scenario could be a rematch between Pacquiao and Larios.
“I can assure you 100 percent that Morales will never make 130 lbs,” said Larios? agent Rafael Mendoza.
“You have to cut off his two legs to make that weight. He will not make that weight and you?ll never know what?s gonna happen. He might even die doing it. He will be too weak.”
