MANNY PACQUIAO promised a good fight. Erik Morales vowed to show what he can do.
The Filipino ring icon and the Mexican superstar didn’t talk about a win but vowed to give it their all when they clash for the third time on Nov. 18 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Unlike their previous pre-fight meetings, Pacquiao and Morales appeared somber and serious during a press conference yesterday in Las Vegas presided over by promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank.
The rubber match is aptly dubbed “The Grand Finale.”
“It’s going to be a good fight on November 18th,” said Pacquiao, according to a report in Fightnews.com. “Both of us are trying to give you a good fight. I’m praying no one gets hurt on the 18th.”
Morales, for his part, pleaded with the fans, asking them to grant him one more opportunity to show the old fighter who was once known as the “purest warrior in all of boxing.”
“As everyone knows, the last few times that I’ve been in the ring, it hasn’t been that good for me,” Morales said.
“This gives me an opportunity to reverse everything and go back to where I belong. I’m asking you to believe in me one more time to show you what I can do.”
Morales was stopped by Pacquiao in the 10th round of their rematch last January after the Filipino lost a close but unanimous decision in their first fight last year.
Pacquiao will receive a purse of $3 million this time plus contract stipulations that guarantee him at least $500,000 for each pound that the Mexican star goes beyond the 130-lb super featherweight limit.
Should Morales go beyond two pounds over the weight limit, Pacquiao has the option to either accept or decline the fight, with $1 million already safe in his bag.
Pacquiao will also have to stay within the weight limit or risk being penalized $500,000 for every excess poundage.
But the Filipino is not expected to encounter any weight problem, unlike Morales, who attributed part of his loss last January to drastically losing weight after fighting as a lightweight (135 lb) in his last outing.
According to Arum, Morales is working with a battery of experts in his quest to bring down his weight while at the same time retaining his power and stamina.
“Anybody who follows boxing and watches boxing will want to come to this fight or watch it on TV,” stated the Top Rank CEO, who also put together the first two bouts between the two boxing icons.
The Filipino star is set to start his rigid training in Cebu, most likely at the famed ALA Gym, before he flies to the US for the crucial stages of gym work under Freddie Roach.
