The real reason Morales lost to Barrera

MORALES REVEALED A WOMAN CAUSED HIS DOWNFALL; VOWS NOT TO COMMIT SAME MISTAKE AGAINST PACQUIAO By Salven L. Lagumbay mannypacquiao.ph January 18, 2005 Admitting for the first time that his most recent loss to Marco Antonio was due to his liaison with a woman, legendary Mexican warrior Erik Morales yesterday vowed not to commit the same mistake when he takes on Filipino ring hero Manny Pacquiao when they trade leathers on March 19 at the MGM Grand Garden and Casino in Las Vegas. Morales, speaking to the Mexican press, admitted that one week of passion with a woman had cost him to lose concentration while training for his rubbermatch with Barrera, which eventually led to his heart-breaking loss to Barrera last November. "It's all about training hard. Get good people around you. Get ready to fight, study the fight, know what you're going up against and then you go at it," Morales said in an interview with Darren Nichols of Boxingtalk. Morales has also welcomed the fact that for the first time in his 12 years as a prizefighter, he has not been installed as the favorite against Pacquiao, indicating that it takes so much pressure off him. "I will not have to worry about Pacquiao, a boxer who is prepared to win and someone who has already gained the confidence of the big television networks through his performance," Morales added. When asked what he plans next after the fight with Pacquiao, Morales said, "We're going to try and surprise some people. Get this fight over and talk about what we want to do next." Morales is guaranteed $2.5 million to face Pacquiao, while the Filipino ring idol will get $1.75 Million. Both fighters will also earn from pay-per-view uptake, according to sources.