ERIC Morales will have to pay the price, literally, if he fails to make the agreed weight limit in his third bout with Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Executives of the Nevada Athletic Commission yesterday revealed that a clause in the Pacquiao-Morales fight set Nov. 18 had it that the Mexican ring legend will be fined $250,000 for every pound in weight should he exceed the 130-lb super-featherweight limit.
The special clause was agreed upon after Morales struggled to weigh in at 130 lbs. during his rematch with the Filipino bomber early in January, a fight that ended with Pacquiao scoring a sensational 10th round technical knockout win.
Pacquiao’s American manager Shelly Finkel revealed during the recent Pacquiao-Oscar Larios slugfest that he and Bob Arum, chairman of Top Rank Promotions which promotes Morales, agreed to have the native of Tijuana, Mexico fined should he fail to make the weight.
Finkel though refused to say how much was the money involved.
Earlier, Arum tried to have the third installment of the Pacquiao-Morales match be fought at a catch weight of 132 lbs, but the Filipino two-time champion thumbed down the proposal and said the fight will only be held at 130.
Morales however, expressed confidence that he will not be having a hard time with the scale this time.
“Definitely, I will make the weight. I have sufficient time to make the weight,” said the 30-year-old three-time world champion. “The fine will practically leave me with no money.”
A team of seven weight experts from Los Angeles will be in charge of monitoring the weight program of the Mexican warrior.
“Bob Arum wants me to be in the best possible shape for the fight and for me not to worry so much about the weight limit,” said Morales.
Only recently, the much-awaited third fight between lightweights Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo didn’t push through after Castillo failed to make the 135 lb limit for the second straight time.
Corrales later sued Castillo, who incidentally is being promoted by Top Rank.
