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Barrera: "Morales will dominate Pacquiao"
By Ant Evans: One of the super fights already inked for 2006 is the January 21 rematch between Erik Morales and Manny Pacquiao, which will emanate from the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Their 12 rounder in March 2005 was an early contender for Fight of the Year (and will certainly be on the ballot for SecondsOut's Annual Reader Awards next week) with Morales hanging on to take a close but deserved points decision.
But Pacquiao engendered much sympathy in defeat.. The Pac-Man fought under less than optimum conditions, what with him in the middle of an ugly divorce from Murad Muhammad, the promoter who not only signed away Pacquiao's right to wear his favoured Reyes gloves but also took the luxury suite his hosts at the MGM Grand had provided for the fighter.
Plus, as he and trainer Freddie Roach repeatedly pointed out in the nine months since, Pacquiao rocked Morales to his boots in the championship rounds and when you throw all of that together with Morales's listless 12 round lost to unheralded Zahir Raheem in September, it is easy to understand why some bookmakers strongly favour Pacquiao to avenge the defeat next month.
However common opponent Marco Antonio Barrera, who is almost certain to fight the winner in the second half of the New Year, believes 'El Terrible' will improve on his March performance and hammer 'the Pac-Man' second time around.
"Morales will dominate in an easy fight," Barrera told SecondsOut. "I want to fight the winner of (next month's fight) and I think that will be Erik Morales. Morales is not shot, forget about his last (performance), he was not motivated, did not train hard and was fighting too heavy (weighing in as a lightweight)."
That prediction shouldn't take long-time fans by surprise. Pride often massages fighters predictions in that they will select an opponent they defeated over a fighter they lost to. That way they can say 'See? I told you my loss to that guy was a fluke because a guy I beat, beat him'.
But, whatever, fans will welcome the news that Barrera v Morales IV is indeed on the cards for the New Year.
The three-division unified world champion continued: "Actually, Golden Boy offered Morales the chance to fight me in September but he declined the fight."
Barrera believes he has underlined that he is the best Mexican fighter of his generation already, and said he will fight Morales for a fourth time because of the fans.
"Morales has said 2006 is the year of his revenge but how can he seek revenge when the best he can do is (draw level) at 2-2?," Barrera smiled.
"My victory (to go 2-1) was one of the most important in my career because I won the trilogy. Boxing history is filled with trilogies and I won mine with Morales. Revenge is not something Morales will get so easily but a fourth fight is something all the fans want to see.
"It is a sportsmanlike rivalry," Barrera smiled. "Oscar is promoting fighters differently, he is doing it differently and he has a style of promoting that is new and exciting. Whenever Golden Boy fights a Top Rank fighter we win so we don't take the rivalry that seriously. Golden Boy will come out on top on Top Rank again in 2006 when I go 3-1 against Morales."
Source: http://www.secondsout.com/USA/news.cfm?ccs=229&cs=18120
By Ant Evans: One of the super fights already inked for 2006 is the January 21 rematch between Erik Morales and Manny Pacquiao, which will emanate from the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Their 12 rounder in March 2005 was an early contender for Fight of the Year (and will certainly be on the ballot for SecondsOut's Annual Reader Awards next week) with Morales hanging on to take a close but deserved points decision.
But Pacquiao engendered much sympathy in defeat.. The Pac-Man fought under less than optimum conditions, what with him in the middle of an ugly divorce from Murad Muhammad, the promoter who not only signed away Pacquiao's right to wear his favoured Reyes gloves but also took the luxury suite his hosts at the MGM Grand had provided for the fighter.
Plus, as he and trainer Freddie Roach repeatedly pointed out in the nine months since, Pacquiao rocked Morales to his boots in the championship rounds and when you throw all of that together with Morales's listless 12 round lost to unheralded Zahir Raheem in September, it is easy to understand why some bookmakers strongly favour Pacquiao to avenge the defeat next month.
However common opponent Marco Antonio Barrera, who is almost certain to fight the winner in the second half of the New Year, believes 'El Terrible' will improve on his March performance and hammer 'the Pac-Man' second time around.
"Morales will dominate in an easy fight," Barrera told SecondsOut. "I want to fight the winner of (next month's fight) and I think that will be Erik Morales. Morales is not shot, forget about his last (performance), he was not motivated, did not train hard and was fighting too heavy (weighing in as a lightweight)."
That prediction shouldn't take long-time fans by surprise. Pride often massages fighters predictions in that they will select an opponent they defeated over a fighter they lost to. That way they can say 'See? I told you my loss to that guy was a fluke because a guy I beat, beat him'.
But, whatever, fans will welcome the news that Barrera v Morales IV is indeed on the cards for the New Year.
The three-division unified world champion continued: "Actually, Golden Boy offered Morales the chance to fight me in September but he declined the fight."
Barrera believes he has underlined that he is the best Mexican fighter of his generation already, and said he will fight Morales for a fourth time because of the fans.
"Morales has said 2006 is the year of his revenge but how can he seek revenge when the best he can do is (draw level) at 2-2?," Barrera smiled.
"My victory (to go 2-1) was one of the most important in my career because I won the trilogy. Boxing history is filled with trilogies and I won mine with Morales. Revenge is not something Morales will get so easily but a fourth fight is something all the fans want to see.
"It is a sportsmanlike rivalry," Barrera smiled. "Oscar is promoting fighters differently, he is doing it differently and he has a style of promoting that is new and exciting. Whenever Golden Boy fights a Top Rank fighter we win so we don't take the rivalry that seriously. Golden Boy will come out on top on Top Rank again in 2006 when I go 3-1 against Morales."
Source: http://www.secondsout.com/USA/news.cfm?ccs=229&cs=18120
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