By: James Blears (photo by Chris Farina)
Former triple world champion Erik Morales, who’s altitude training for a high octane war against Manny Pacquiao says he’s relishing the challenge and he’ll emerge victorious from a classic.
Erik is again basing himself at the Otomi Center and will only go to sea level in Las Vegas a few days before the much anticipated March 19th clash of the slender titans.
Former WBC Light Flyweight champ Jorge Arce who’s also at the Otomi and will be on the undercard, is has a clear cut view of who’s going to win.
He said: “Erik is naturally bigger, heavier, hits harder and has a much wider variety of shots than Manny who relies too much on his big left hand. Almost always in boxing the good bigger guy beats the good littler guy. So I’m confident Erik will be victorious.”
Venezuelan featherweight Alirio Rivero who’s one of Erik’s principal sparring partners explains: “Erik is such a complete fighter, with whole array of punches. He can attack but he can also box. While Manny really only has that straight left hand, which is dangerous but can be avoided, as Juan Manuel Marquez showed us, when he started to use his boxing brain after that first round near disaster.”
Erik who has the class of a great champion is more conservative in his assessments and his opinion. He never made any secret of the fact the even prior to the third Barrera fight, he would have much preferred to take on Manny, who he was, and still is convinced constitutes a sterner and more fascinating challenge.
Looking noticeable much more relaxed, and less tense than in the build up to his last big fight, the normally reserved Erik, allowed himself a broad smile as he said:
“Manny Pacquiao is a pretty good fighter and I think this will be a great fight for the fans. I’m really looking forward to it. He’s strong and fast, but like all fighters he has defects and imperfections and it’s my job to exploit them. Boxing is a question of a compliment of styles. For him, his left hand is very important, but the one who has the more power and also the greater skills will win this fight.
“In my fights I’ve always been a champion and I’m going to try to do it this time. It also depends on who fights the best on the night. I think my particular style and technique will help me a lot.”
So is it going to be a war a chess match, or a combination of the two? Erik feels that a lot will depend on hand speed and strength.
Erik’s Father and Trainer Jose Morales is expecting a hard tough but also a fair fight. He said: “Manny is an aggressive, but also a clean fighter. He does not head butt or rabbit punch. There are many different types of punches which a southpaw like Manny brings to a fight, and that is the technical challenge.
“We have a lot of respect for Manny. He’s not common, or dirty in the ring like Barrera who used his elbows and other illegal means, which the referee did not pull up.
“For me the Erik’s greater experience at this level will count for a lot. As a boxer Manny is rather limited. He does have a heavy left hand, but that’s it.”
