By Ronnie Nathanielsz
While just about every single Filipino both here in the United States as well as back home in the Philippines believes that Ring Magazine featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao is invincible, the general consensus among knowledgeable boxing writers is that this is by no means an easy fight and that it could go down as a blood-and-guts epic with neither fighter ready to back down.
Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach, while having almost complete faith in Pacquiao's ability to ice Morales with a deadly weapon code-named "Manila Ice" which begins with a thundering right hook to the body, concedes that Morales is capable of "knocking you out."
Roach who is getting most of the credit for turning the flamboyant southpaw into a well-oiled fighting machine admits that Morales "is a bigger hitter than Juan Manuel Marquez (the WBA/IBF featherweight champion) and thats why we (Pacquiao) can't stand in front of this guy. We need head movement. If you stand in front of him he'll knock you out."
Roach warned that if Pacquiao "stays in the pocket on the inside he (Morales) is very effective with the uppercut and if you stay in front of him from the outside he's got a long, long right hand. He is a little taller than Manny but Morales is a very long puncher and needs a little distance. He can fight in and out."
"That's why" says Roach, "we need to take charge of the situation...take charge of him right away." And the vicious body shots which Roach has been working on since he was in Davao City preparing Pacquiao for the December 11 "Yanig sa Taguig" against Fahsan 3K Battery, will be the key. In and out in a flash with lots of side-to-side and head movement so Morales can't nail Pacquiao with his big right hand or his deadly uppercut.
Roach points out that the body shots were the key to the eleventh round annihilation of legendaray featherweight Marco Antonio Barrera on November 15, 2003 in San Antonio, Texas and it could well be the key in the showdown with Morales.
For all his "El Terrible" monicker and what it connotes, Roach believes Morales, like most Mexicans, is vulnerable to body shots although respected boxing writer Michael Katz says "I don't know where they got that from and what the basis is."
Roach contends that "a lot of Mexicans have good chins" and that if you concentrate on going to the head, they will be able to withstand the assault. But the body is a different story. You can "break them down" and take their legs away from them and as the fight wears on, they have nothing left. But he also concedes, this is not only true of Mexicans like Morales, "its the same thing with any fighter."
Reminded that Morales has never been knocked out. Roach insists "
there is always a first time" and this may be it on Saturday. Roach predicts a late round knockout while conditioning trainer Justic Fortune who once battled heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis says the thing going for Pacquiao is his incredible condition "which will allow him to finish even fifteen rounds just as fast as he started." But Morales isn't bothered by the hype, merely saying he's ready.
The soft-spoken, somewhat shy three time world champion says he will be ready for any challenge" Pacquiao brings on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Morales' strategy is expected to be simple with no real fancy code names or secret vweapons. He plans a good, old fashioned fight where he plans on "boxing Pacquiao and hurting him early to discourage his charges" which are likely to get underway the moment the bell rings for the first round.
Hold on to your seats, because these two ring warriors are "Coming with Everything."
