By Mark Vester

Mexican great Erik Morales, who faced Manny Pacquiao three times during his career, gave his thoughts on the proposed bout between Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya on December 6 in Las Vegas. If the fight gets made, Pacquiao would have to move up from lightweight to an agreed upon of 147-pounds. Morales says the extra pounds that Pacquiao will pack on is going to tire him out due to the rapid climb in weight.

"Pacquiao will simply be tired by the sixth or seventh round, nothing more to it than that," Morales told Alfredo Jaime Gómez of ESTO.

Morales was joined by WBC president Jose Sulaimán, who also told the paper that De La Hoya should not fight Pacquiao and instead take the fight with WBA welterweight champion Antonio Margarito.

"Without a doubt, Pacquiao is a great boxer, but he is very small in this fight. He would have to blow himself up to fight De La Hoya at welterweight and it's going to be like fighting a middleweight," Sulaimán said. "The power of Pacquiao will not be there in that division. If they want to sell a fraud to the public, they can go ahead. De La Hoya has picked the easiest (opponent). Against Margarito he will be on equal (physical) terms."

News and Notes

Morales still plans to make a return to the ring in 2009. Sulaimán says that Morales will have to pass a series of medical tests before he is cleared to return. He advised Morales to stay retired.

"The first fight would be in Mexico and later I would fight in the United States," Morales said. "I want to leave the sport as a champion."

Sulaimán has also told Jose Luis Castillo, who recently suffered yet another loss, to stay retired and pursue another avenue in the sport.

"I've already told him a thousand times, he should understand that his life as a boxer is finished. When the legs go, everything else goes. He's already arrived at the end of his career," Sulaimán said.

Send News Tips and Comments To Mark Vester @ boxingscene@hotmail.com