By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Filipinos living in the US are expected to scramble for tickets for the Manny Pacquiao Erik Morales blockbuster showdown "Bring It On" as hundreds of them have promised Pacquiao they would go to the MGM Grand Garden Arena to watch the fight "live" while thousands more are certain to follow the action on the pay-per-view telecast by HBO. Even when he departed for Los Angeles aboard a Philippine Airlines flight last January 8, Pacquiao was mobbed by balikbayans returning to the US after their Christmas vacation in the Philippines.
Pacquiao himself, his spirits high after learning that he would be fighting Morales instead of WBA/IBF featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez and that the March 19 fight date would give him ample time to get into shape after a series of nights out and good times in Manila prior to his departure last January 8, was mobbed while dining at Goldilocks. Trainer Freddie Roach has prepared to close the doors of his gym when the flamboyant Filipino southpaw works out because of the huge crowds that are expected to disrupt his training.
Despite the biting cold and the continuous rains in recent days Pacquiao has begun working out and now has the luxury of pacing himself instead of cramming like he did for the first fight with Marquez last May which ended in a controversial draw after Pacquiao decked the Mexican three times in the first round but couldn't finish him off. Pacquiao suffered cramps, an injured hand and a blister on his foot which were partly attributed to his cramming in training. Roach himself welcomed the extra three weeks admitting that Pacquiao was breathing heavily after three rounds on the punch-mitts in his first workout at the Wild Card Gym which is right next door to the Vagabond Inn where Pacquiao lives with Filipino trainer and longtime friend Restituto "Buboy" Fernandez.
Tickets for the fight are priced at $400 plus taxes for the most expensive seats with the cheapest seats going for $75. Other ticket prices are $300, $200 and $125. The pay-per-view telecast has a suggested retain price of $44.95 and will be available to over 50 million pay-per-view homes. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum who put the fight package together with international promoter Murad Muhammad promised that "fans are going to see an all-action fight from bell to bell. This is an exciting event and this is what professional boxing is all about.
Murad Muhammad who is often referred to as a "miracle man" pulled off another coup since he was instrumental in bringing about what boxing writers have indicated should be the fight of the year after Marquez and his trainer Ignacio "Nacho" Beristain virtually priced the champion out of the market by demanding $1.5 million to fight Pacquiao who agreed to receive $900,000. Murad kept his word and Pacquiao will get $1.75 million for the Morales fight and is likely to earn over P100 million, making it the biggest payday for an Asian fighter in the history of boxing.
HBO Senior Vice President for Sports Operations and pay-per-view Mark Taffet said "as they did in 2004, Erik Morales and Manny Pacquiao continue to participate in some of the sport's most exciting and compelling match-ups. This should be a great event for pay-per-view boxing fans."
Pacquiao's business manager Rod Nazario, realizing the significance of the Morales fight in the career of Pacquiao who said earlier "2005 is my good year" plans to fly to Los Angeles at least one month before the fight to keep "a close eye on Manny during training." Lito Mondejar of Team Pacquiao who didn't leave with Pacquiao as he normally does because he couldn't stand the cold weather in LA is expected to leave sometime in mid-February. Mondejar, in past fights, watched over Pacquiao.