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Exercise physiologist Jorgen Persson who’s meticulously supervising Erik Morales’ weight loss combined with strength retention process, for a third titanic clash with Manny Pacquiao, is taking Freddie Roach to task for simplistically likening the event to Rocky Balboa versus Ivan Drago.
Erik Morales is not going to run out of energy in his third and deciding fight with Manny Pacquiao, because he’s going to be in tip top shape and strong within the Super Featherweight category. That was the message from Jorgen Persson, an Exercise Physiologist. Jorgen who’s from Velocity Sports Performance, West Los Angeles, has been appointed by Top Rank to work with El Terible at the Otomi High Altitude Training Center. Gone are the days when Erik started his weight reduction campaign from a high point which generously exceeded the middleweight limit…and then some, until he appeared gaunt. The Erik Morales who sauntered into Mexico City’s Melia Hotel for the WBC weigh in 30 days before the fight, registered 142 pounds, and he looked relaxed and strong. This satisfied Jorgen who said: “Erik can loose the remaining weight gradually which is good, because he’s not going to get burned out, and he’s not going to become what in technical terms is called catabolic. “If you don’t eat enough your body actually starts using up your muscles and you fatigue, which could have been what happened in the previous fight, where he didn’t time the gradual progression of weight loss. That is not going to happen this time!” For his first winning fight against Manny Pacquiao, Erik trained at the Spartan Otomi High Altitude Training Center, high in the mountains perched over Toluca. He didn’t do this prior to his second clash with Manny earlier this year, because the normally cold weather there was frigid. And it cost him dear.
World Boxing Council President Jose Sulaiman, says that all concerned in the build up to the third fight between Jose Luis Castillo and Diego Corrales, did not heed a timely warning in black and white from the WBC, that Castillo was too heavy.
Their first fight was an all time classic. Lionhearted, rugged, utterly savage and peppered with tremendous controversy. Diego Corrales dug ever so deep, spat hard, and like a phoenix, rose above the caldron’s embers- controversially pulling off an unlikely, yet incredible win.
Two of Mexico’s finest little big men who are both current world champions are going to going to war on Saturday, at the Home Depot Center in Carson City LA- and you can expect them to throw everything …including the kitchen sink.
Looking at Marco Antonio Barrera and Rocky Juarez standing side by side, it’s hard to believe the official statistic that there’s just one inch difference in their height. As so often in boxing, these sort of details are a bit sketchy. My own estimation is that Marco is about five feet seven inches tall and Rocky is about five feet four inches tall.
WBC Executive Secretary Mauricio Sulaiman and a senior HBO official are predicting Marco Antonio Barrera should win his L.A Super Featherweight clash with hard hitting Rocky Juarez, but it won’t be plain sailing or showboating.
WBC Interim Flyweight Champion Jorge “Travieso” Arce is fighting Rosendo “El Bufalo” Alvarez on the same card as Floyd and Zab, and what a humdinger it’s going to be.
Like Humpty Dumpty, Erik Morales has had a great fall. And it’s unlikely that all Arum’s, or anyone’s men can put Erik together again.
WBC and IBF Super Featherweight Champ Marco Antonio Barrera wants seven more fights before finally hanging up his gloves, and one of them will definitely be a re-match against his Filipino nemesis magnificent Manny Pacquiao.