In the highly-touted rubber match between Manny Pacquiao (43-3-2, 34 KO’s) and Erik Morales (48-5-0, 34 KO’s), the high pace tempo was set from the singing of the National Anthem all the way through Morales’ acknowledgement of defeat.
In front of a crowd of 18,276 ? the second largest in Thomas & Mack history, the fighters came out swinging from the beginnin,. each dealing and receiving devastating headshots and body punches as they traded off time against the ropes and in the corners.
In the first round, Pacquiao came out strong, countering Morales’ attacks as the crowd roared. Pacquiao landed solid blows, and at times throughout the round, the fighters would stand toe-to-toe in an all out slugfest trying to bring the other to their knees.
The first knockdown of the night came in the second round as Morales landed a flurry against Pacquiao, which Pacquiao countered sending Morales to the mat. As Morales got up from the drop, Pacquiao attempted to seal the deal early, but luckily for Morales, the bell saved him.
When the bell rang for the third round, Pacquiao picked up right where he left off, beating on Morales until Morales hit the mat again. As soon as Morales rose, the onslaught continued, and Pacquiao secured another knockdown with less than 30 seconds left in the round. The face of Morales was clear.
He had been beaten as he shook his head in defeat for all of the pay-per-view fans to see as the camera zoomed in; he refused to get back up.
Trainer Freddie Roach acknowledged his surprise at the early defeat of Morales, saying “We expected to knock (Morales) out ? not in the third round.”
The good news continued for Top Rank promotions as they announced that they had resigned Manny Pacquiao to a four-year contract and that due to the stipulation in his contract for the Morales fight, he was unable to enter into his already signed contract with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions.
It was alleged that Pacquiao received a check anywhere from $500,000 to $1 million from Golden Boy that he returned. Due to the legality and implications for Pacquiao’s success, the dispute will likely be settled in court.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum had no comment other than the announcement, and Pacquiao also dodged the question, saying that he wanted to spend time with his family before anything.
Erik Morales, who briefly appeared at the press conference before leaving for the hospital, may have fought his last match on Saturday, after losing his last three straight matches and four of his last five. The former super featherweight champion is having trouble making the 130-pound limits and shows a lack of speed over the course of his 53 contests.
No announcement has been made by Morales.
