Every great fighter needs a counter part that can bring out the best in him, in victory and defeat. For Muhammad Ali, it was Joe Frazier, pushing “The Greatest” to the limits of his mortality in successfully bringing out the truth in Ali. Jake Lamotta was the vehicle by which Ray Robinson most emphatically brought out the heart and tenacity of a man who was considered to be above human. And now for Manny Pacquiao, he has met his athletic muse in Erik Morales.
Morales represented a chance to cement his legacy as one of this era’s greatest to the masses. Pacquiao was a dangerous opponent, a fearsome slugger who had previously felled Morales’ greatest rival in Marco Antonio Barrera.
Morales was feeling the pressure himself, having lost the rubber match to Mexico City’s Marco Antonio Barrera and a pivotal foothold in history. A victory over Pacquiao would in a very real sense represent a victory over Barrera.
The Spring of 2004 saw Pacquiao engage in dramatic draw with Juan Manuel Marquez, in which Pacquiao dropped Marquez three times in the first only to be technically outgunned for significant stretches through the middle rounds en route to an even verdict. It was thought that a rematch and a subsequent third and decisive bout would be the route by which Pacquiao defined his career, an adversary who could force him to fight harder than any previous opponent.
As thrilling as their first encounter was, a rematch never materialized. Marquez and his trainer/manager Nacho Beristain felt that you don’t actually have to beat an elite fighter, just give him a good fight, and that entitles you to primadonna status in fight negotiations. With Marquez on the sidelines sliding out of the public eye, Erik Morales stepped in and what has ensued has been nothing short of boxing theatrical greatness.
A boxing adage suggests that whoever wins the first fight, wins the rematch more convincingly. Well, who believes in proverbs anyways? Morales won the first fight by a clear margin, using his vast experience and size to outgun and blunt Pacquiao’s speed and power advantages. It looked as if Morales was going to be too big and strong for the former Flyweight titlist, that Pacquiao’s audacious plan to fell the top three Mexican Featherweights of the last ten years had come to a halt.
A rematch was set for the following January, by which the world around the two had changed drastically. Pacquiao’s training camp in Los Angeles for the first fight was a public spectacle, an open forum where 100s of fans and members of the media were there to view his preparation. Trainer Freddie Roach felt that the distraction hurt Pacquiao’s concentration in the first fight and expelled the masses from the Wild Card Gym, allowing Pacquiao the proper environment to prepare for the hell of battle.
To hype up the rematch, Pacquiao and Morales appeared on a twin bill to showcase themselves against what were supposed to be perfunctory opposition. It was all routine for Pacquiao, who disposed of Hector Velasquez in 6 entertaining rounds. Somebody forgot to let Zahir Raheem know it was just a tuneup, as the 1996 Olympian put on a boxing clinic over 12 rounds with Morales playing pupil. Of course Raheem didn’t get to cash in on the great effort, being afforded only a fringe title opportunity against Acelino Freitas.
In those fights against other opponents, you could clearly distinguish the differences between both fighters internal rhythms. Erik Morales fights like a jazz artist, relying on the inspiration of the moment rather than forcing art out of his hands. A great jazz musician can only perform when inspired, and Raheem’s undistinguished reputation could never elicit an effort like Morales put forth against Barrera or Paulie Ayala. Like Louie Armstrong with his smooth posturing, then interjecting violent discords with his shoulders and arms in conjunction.
Pacquiao is heavy metal, a cacophony of wild lefts and ill-intentioned rights that compound to a symphony of raw humanity. His stints inside the ropes are long guitar solos that could be enticed into fruition regardless of venue. A journeyman like Velasquez would receive the same respect as a legend like Marco Antonio Barrera.
Morales, in spite of his poor showing, was set to face Pacquiao for a second time with a great deal of doubt left in the back of his mind. Morales started stronger, but Pacquiao sent Morales sailing across the ring in the second, with doubts as to whether or not the Reyes gloves really did make a difference running through the Mexican legend’s mind. From the sixth on, it was all Pacquaio. Morales began to weaken, his erosion accelerated by inept handlers who massaged his legs in between rounds. Finally, with Morales reduced to returning fire with smoke, Pacquiao deposited Morales on the canvas twice, compelling the referee to waive off what was quickly becoming a blood letting.
For the first time in his long career, Erik Morales went into the ring without his father Jose working the corner during their second time around. The patriarch’s poor handling of the situation during the Raheem fight is the only external factor to point to as the instigator. Morales himself conceeded that the shakeup of his camp was also a terrible miscue. “For the second fight, you know, I just made so many, just make too many changes in my routine from my camp, on everything. Just make too many changes that I shouldn?t have done.”
For all intents and purposes, many thought that was the end of Morales as a fighter. A return clause existed, but general thought was that Morales wouldn’t want any favors done for him there. You can only save a fighter from everything but himself however, and the pride of a champion that exists in Morales’ ever-beating heart would not allow himself to stay down without seeking redemption.
What remains though are the questions of Morales’ reserves; does he have anything left for a young stud in the prime of his youth? Pacquiao’s superior speed and punching clout are enough to persuade pundits to the thought that Pacquiao has the athletic qualities to be superior at this stage of their careers. Morales has a great beard, but his lapse in vincibility this past January shows that he is only human and will go down from Pacquiao’s smothering assaults.
With his advanced ring age putting him into the AARP territory of boxers, Morales cannot survive a gunfight with Pacquiao. His only option is to mimic the tactics of his nemesis Barrera when last confronted with a younger adversary. Knowing that matching punch for punch with a bigger swinger in Juarez would be potentially disastrous, Barrera put on a thorough clinic of the Houston native in the rematch this past September, showing that dogs with new tricks can be the master of younger pups.
His warrior instincts aside, Morales needs to fight the most boring fight of his highlight reel life to have any chance to overturn the balance of Pacquiao’s vast dividends in the last fight. A slufest with a bigger puncher with quicker fists is the kind of confrontation that Morales does not need.
Morales has the advantage of having beaten Pacquiao once before, he knows how to get there and what it feels like once reaching the summit. When Pacquiao annhilated Barrera in November of ’03, a feeling of resignation came over Barrera, a concession that he would not be able to turn the tables in this or any other lifetime. From the second half of the fight on, Barrera’s face seemed to state “I just can’t beat this guy.”
“El Terrible’s” biggest enemy in preparations may be his own body. Although beginning his career as a Junior Featherweight, his growing body has made it very difficult for him to make the 130 limit. Contrast that with Pacquiao, who as a former Flyweight champion routinely comes in 2 pounds or more under the contracted weight limit.
Salven Lagumbay of the Philippine Daily Inquirer recently summarized Morales’ prospects with the following warning; “Erik Morales should be in his fighting best or he?s going to get knocked out again by Manny Pacquiao.”
Pacquiao has since beaten Oscar Larios in a fight that, while pitting two world class opponents, was essentially a tuneup for bigger fish to come. Morales has not returned to the ring yet to find out if he has anything left in the tank. He is reserving those questions for Manny Pacquiao to answer.
By the time they meet once again to settle the tie, Morales will have been out of the ring for ten months, the longest layoff of his career. Morales’ reinvigorated spirit will allow him to once again test his mortality against a deadly opponent, but what has yet to be determined is how bright the fire still burns inside him. He’s lost three of his last four bouts, and another loss would signify the end of an era in the lower weight divisions.
Bringing back his father and original trainer can only help, but bringing back the Morales of old may not be feasible.
Pacquiao’s desire is in no question, as Phillipine Star correspondent Abac Cordero’s report articulated this past week. “He said he wants to finish off Morales in the early rounds, and that he?s going to fight like there?s no tomorrow. That?s why he?s training like an animal,” quoted Cordero of Jake Joson.
When referree Vic Drakulich signals for the time keeper to ring the bell to start the festivities on November 18, he better ring it hard. For the Filipino and Mexican boxing fans, this is the World Cup, this is the World Series, this is the only event that matters in the world on Saturday night.
